Clerk in additional Tehsildar office caught accepting bribe

A clerk in the revenue department of the additional tehsildar office, non-agriculture, has been arrested by the Mumbai unit of Maharashtra Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) for allegedly demanding and accepting Rs 1 lakh to waive off a few lakhs from the fine levied on the complainant’s society for non-payment of non-agriculture tax.

The accused, Rushikesh Itai (33), is a clerk in additional tehsildar office in Borivali.

The department served notice to the complainant’s society, asking them to pay penalty 40 times more than the amount of an old pending tax.

This took the total payable amount to Rs 6.5 lakh. The tax pertained to use of non-agricultural land in their society for four years.

The complainant and his society members were taken aback on receiving the notice and approached the additional tehsildar’s office. There, Mr Itai demanded Rs 1 lakh to bring down the penalty amount to Rs 2.5 lakh. The complainant quietly approached the ACB office at Worli who verified the allegation and found it to be true.

Accordingly, a trap was laid on Wednesday and Mr Itai was caught accepting the bribe. The bribe money has been recovered from him.

An FIR has been registered against him under relevant sections of the Prevention of Corruption Act. He has been arrested. A house search is underway at his residence to find out if he has amassed assets disproportionate to his known sources of income.