The Anti-Corruption Bureau on Tuesday alleged that Gajanan Patil, arrested on charges of corruption, had not been cooperating with the investigation.
The Anti-Corruption Bureau on Tuesday alleged that Gajanan Patil, arrested on charges of corruption, had not been cooperating with the investigation. A special ACB court did not extend his police custody and remanded Patil to judicial custody.
Patil, who allegedly impersonated being revenue minister Eknath Khadse’s personal aide, was arrested after he demanded over Rs 30 crore as bribe. The complainant who approached the ACB alleged that Patil had introduced himself as Mr Khadse’s aide when he had visited the minister’s office regarding an issue concerning a land in Kalyan.
The ACB informed the special court that when they had asked why he had demanded money from the complainant, he responded that the whole incident was meant to be a prank on Dr Jadhav, the complainant. “Patil said that he had asked for the money as a prank,” said an ACB officer in court. He added that Patil’s house search had not revealed anything incriminating.
Patil, who was nabbed red-handed by the ACB, had been remanded to police custody for two days. On Tuesday he was granted judicial custody and his lawyers immediately moved for bail. The court will hear the bail application on Wednesday. ACB officials said they asked for seven more days of police custody to investigate whether Patil had asked for bribes on previous occasions as well and whether he had duped other people.
The complainant had stated to the ACB that Patil had initially demanded a bribe of Rs 1 crore and a flat to settle the matter, but his demands escalated and he eventually demanded Rs 130 crore from him, causing him to approach the ACB. Following the incident, Mr Khadse had issued a statement distancing himself from Patil and claimed that Patil was neither his personal aide nor his employee. “He was not employed with the minister’s office in any manner. If someone has misused my name and he is found guilty, then strict action must be taken against him,” Mr Khadse said.
