In a significant development, Mahendra Sawardekar, a police inspector of the Economic Offences Wing (EOW) of Mumbai Police, has been arrested by the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) for allegedly demanding a bribe of 10 per cent for returning the money in a fraud case.
Inspector Sawardekar was stationed in the Maharashtra Control of Organized Crime Act (MCOCA) section of the Economic Crimes Branch, located on the second floor of the Yellow Gate police station. The case originated from a complaint by a resident of Tamil Nadu, who had invested ₹49.44 lakh in a consultancy firm named Bliss Consultancy. After being defrauded, the complainant filed a complaint with the Mumbai Economic Crimes Branch.
The investigation into the fraud was assigned to the MCOCA section of the Economic Crimes Branch, with Inspector Sawardekar as the investigating officer. Reports indicate that Sawardekar demanded a bribe of ₹4.90 lakh, equivalent to 10 percent of the investment, in exchange for registering the complainant's statement as a witness and including relevant documents in the case.
Upon learning of the bribery demand, the complainant lodged a complaint with the ACB. Subsequently, on Wednesday afternoon, the ACB set a trap at Yellow Gate, leading to the arrest of Inspector Sawardekar while he was accepting a bribe of ₹2 lakh.
This incident raises serious concerns regarding corruption within the police force, highlighting the need for vigilance against such practices. Further investigations are underway to uncover any additional misconduct.