Nagar panchayat officer among 5 held in bribery case in Maharashtra's Gondia

Gondia, Maharashtra: The ACB has apprehended a senior nagar panchayat officer and four others for allegedly demanding bribe from a contractor to issue work order for drainage lines construction in Maharashtra's Gondia district, an official said.

As per the complainant, his son got the contract to construct two drainage lines costing Rs 12.15 lakh through a tender under the special works head for 2023-24, but was not issued the work order, the official from the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) said on Tuesday.

When the contractor contacted the authorities concerned and the nagar panchayat officer, the latter allegedly sought 15 per cent of the tender amount, which was Rs 1.82 lakh, he said.

The contractor's father on Monday lodged a complaint with the Gondia ACB.

After verification of the complaint, the ACB laid a trap on Tuesday at the nagar panchayat office where the contractor was asked by the accused to hand over the money to a trader.

The ACB later took into custody the nagar panchayat officer, a revenue officer and three others, the official said.

The anti-graft agency registered a case these five accused and another person under relevant provisions of the Prevention of Corruption Act, he added.