MSEDCL official in Palghar held for taking Rs 30,000 bribe

The Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) has arrested an official of the Maharashtra State Electricity Distribution Company Limited (MSEDCL) in Palghar for allegedly taking a bribe of Rs 30,000 to reduce the dues of a defaulter, the ACB said on Tuesday, reported news agency PTI.

A person had an electricity meter that was closed since 2010, resulting in an accumulated outstanding bill of Rs 2,06,920, it said.

Seeking to resolve the issue and regularise the bill amount, the person approached the MSEDCL office.

The 57-year-old accused, posted as deputy manager at the MSEDCL executive engineer`s office in Palghar district, allegedly offered to reduce the dues to Rs 60,000 if the person paid him a bribe of Rs 35,000, the ACB said in a release, reported PTI.

The person approached the Thane ACB, which verified the allegations and laid a trap.

“The accused agreed to accept Rs 30,000 from the complainant on Monday evening. He was arrested while accepting the bribe amount,” the anti-graft agency said, reported PTI.

A case was registered against the accused at Manickpur police station under relevant provisions of the Prevention of Corruption Act, it added.

Electricity department engineer caught taking Rs 2-lakh bribe in Palghar

In another case, a 42-year-old junior engineer from state-run power distributor Maharashtra State Electricity Distribution Company Limited (MSEDCL) was arrested while accepting a bribe of Rs 2 lakh in Maharashtra`s Palghar district.

According to news agency PTI, Atul Ashok Awhad, from Ashagad, under the Dahanu sub-division of MSEDCL, had demanded Rs 3 lakh to spare a cattle shed owner from action for stealing electricity.

The junior engineer brought down the bribe amount to Rs 2 lakh after negotiations, the officer said.

Acting on a complaint, the ACB laid a trap and nabbed Awhad allegedly while he was accepting the bribe on Thursday, ACB`s Deputy Superintendent of Police Harshal Chavan said. The Dahanu Police have booked Awhad under the Prevention of Corruption Act, PTI reported.

(With inputs from PTI)

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