Mubarak Ansari & Vivek Patil
Pimpri, 18th August 2021: The sleuths from the Pune unit of the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) have taken major action against officials of the Pimpri Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC) in a bribery case of Rs 10 lakh.
The ACB today raided the office of the PCMC Standing Committee Chairman Adv Nitin Dnyaneshwar Landge and after two hours search, the agency detained Landge, his personal assistant (PA) Dnyaneshwar Pingale, clerk Vijay Shambhulal Chawriya, peon Arvind Kamble, and computer operator Rajendra Shinde.
Landge is a BJP corporator from Prabhag 7 in Bhosari. As Chairman of the Standing Committee, Landge takes the decision about various funds.
Today, an online meeting of the Standing Committee was held wherein approval was given for work worth Rs 31.66 crore. The meeting got over around 3 pm. Then, there was a discussion on some issues in the office of the PCMC Commissioner which got over around 4.30 pm.
Around the same time, the ACB officials caught Landge’s PA Pingale red-handed while accepting the bribe on the ground floor. He was taken to the office of the Standing Committee Chairman and questioned along with other suspects. Later, Landge was also questioned. They were taken away around 7 pm by the ACB team.
According to the ACB, the complainant is in the advertising business. He had applied for hoarding licenses at the PCMC’s properties and his 28 tenders were approved. However, the work order was not being released. Landge and his PA allegedly demanded three per cent of the bid amount ie Rs 10 lakh as a bribe for issuing the work order. After negotiation, the amount was reduced to two per cent or Rs six lakh. Out of this amount, the accused today accepted Rs 1.18 lakh through Shinde, Kamble and Chawriya.
Officials said that an FIR is being registered at Pimpri police station against them under relevant sections of the Prevention of Corruption Act.
Also Read Pune Police Arrest Businessman Nanasaheb Gaikwad, His Wife And Son In MCOCA Case From Karnataka
