A medical officer posted in Thane district was arrested on Friday on charges of allegedly accepting a bribe of ₹2,000 to provide a mandatory medical certificate required for the renewal of a firearm licence, as per a report by PTI. The accused, identified as Dr Anil Patil, was serving at Murbad Rural Hospital, officials from the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) in Thane confirmed. Authorities stated that the certificate was essential for processing the renewal application of a revolver licence, making it a crucial document for the applicant. The arrest has once again highlighted concerns regarding corruption in public healthcare services and misuse of official positions for personal monetary gain.
According to ACB officials, the complainant had approached the hospital to obtain a medical certificate needed for renewing his father’s revolver licence. During this process, an ambulance driver named Mahendra Hindurao allegedly demanded ₹3,000 on behalf of the doctor to facilitate the issuance of the document. After negotiations, the bribe amount was reportedly reduced to ₹2,000. Inspector Rupali Pol stated that the demand was made as a precondition to process the request, placing the applicant in a difficult situation. The complainant, however, refused to comply with the illegal demand and instead decided to report the matter to the authorities.
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Following the complaint, the Anti-Corruption Bureau acted swiftly and organised a trap operation at the hospital premises on Thursday. The team carefully planned the operation to catch the accused in the act. During the trap, Dr Patil was allegedly caught red-handed while accepting the bribe amount from the complainant. Officials confirmed that proper procedures were followed during the operation to ensure that sufficient evidence was collected. Meanwhile, the ambulance driver who allegedly acted as an intermediary in the case managed to escape and is currently on the run, prompting authorities to launch a search operation to trace his whereabouts.
The ACB has initiated a detailed probe to determine whether other individuals were involved in the alleged corruption and to find out if similar bribe demands were made to other applicants in the past. Officials are examining records and questioning staff to uncover any broader network or pattern of malpractice. Dr Patil has been booked under relevant sections of the Prevention of Corruption Act. Authorities have assured that strict action will be taken against all those found guilty, reiterating their commitment to curbing corruption and maintaining transparency in public services.