ACB arrests two for bribery in Maharashtra’s Palghar district

The Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) has arrested two persons, including an official of a firm associated with MMRDA, in connection with a bribe of Rs 7,000 collected from a local internet service provider in Maharashtra’s Palghar district, an official said on Wednesday. The duo has been identified as Ashok Kumar Suryabanshrai (34), a field supervisor of a technical consultancy firm contracted by the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA), and Sahid Salim Varsi (25), a private person.

Dayanand Gawde, ACB’s deputy superintendent of police, Palghar, said in a statement that Suryabanshrai demanded Rs 7,000 from a local internet service provider to allow him to lay fibre optic cables over an electric pole installed within the limits of MMRDA in Dahanu.

The field supervisor claimed that the money would be given to MMRDA to obtain permission to lay the cables, the complainant told ACB. The anti-graft body laid a trap and arrested Sahid accepting the bribe on behalf of Suryabanshrai on Tuesday. The field supervisor was also arrested, he said.

A case has been registered against the two under the Prevention of Corruption Act, the official added.