MUMBAI – In a stunning crackdown on corruption, the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) arrested an FDA clerk red-handed while accepting a Rs 35,000 bribe right inside the Maharashtra state secretariat, Mantralaya. The incident, revealed on Friday, has ignited a political firestorm, spotlighting deep-rooted graft in government offices.
The clerk, identified as Rajendra Dherange, was nabbed in the FDA office on the second floor of Mantralaya. According to ACB officials, Dherange had demanded Rs 50,000 from a complainant seeking to reinstate his medical license. After the victim approached the bureau, a trap was meticulously laid, leading to the clerk’s capture on Thursday evening as he pocketed the tainted cash.
Maharashtra Pradesh Congress Committee chief Harshvardhan Sapkal seized the moment to lambast the BJP-led government, alleging the arrest occurred in a cabinet minister’s office vicinity, exposing systemic corruption. ‘This is just the tip of the iceberg,’ Sapkal declared, urging Chief Minister Eknath Shinde to sack the implicated minister and launch a thorough probe.
ACB clarified that the bust happened strictly within FDA premises, not a minister’s chamber, but the controversy rages on. A case under the Prevention of Corruption Act has been registered, with investigations underway to uncover any larger networks.
Congress leaders painted a grim picture of ‘open bribery and commission rackets’ thriving under the Mahayuti regime, where public services grind to a halt without payoffs. They demanded immediate action to restore faith in governance.
The bureau appealed to citizens: Report any bribe demands by officials promptly to aid swift enforcement. This high-profile catch underscores the relentless battle against corruption infiltrating even the heart of state administration.