On Thursday, 10 days after a BMC class I officer was arrested by the Anti Corruption Bureau (ACB) of Thane while allegedly taking a bribe of Rs3 lakh and alcohol from an octroi agent, ACB officials found 1.14 kg of gold and 20 grams of silver from his bank locker.
The accused, Sunil Baliram Bane (55), deputy assessor and collector, BMC vigilance department, had demanded bribe in return for not taking action against the octroi agent while transporting vehicles.
Last week, ACB officials had found documents of several properties and fixed deposits in his name. Bane has two flats, one each in Mulund and Goregaon in his wife's name, and a 23,000 sq ft plot in Kankavli.
Sleuths also found cash worth Rs 8 lakh, Rs 80,000 in fixed deposits and Rs 5.59 lakh (fixed deposit) in Bane's son's name. LIC documents worth Rs 7.5 lakh were also seized.
Two weeks ago, the complainant (octroi agent), had transported several vehicles from outside the city. The agent paid an octroi of Rs10 lakh, the requisite amount, and deposited it in Bane's Kanjurmarg office.
"However, Bane allegedly told the agent that the actual octroi amount he was supposed to pay was Rs30 lakh, and that he had been spared several lakh rupees. Bane told the agent that he would not take any action against him if he paid Rs3 lakh as bribe. He also demanded alcohol in addition to the cash," said an ACB officer.
Bane asked the complainant to hand over the money around 9pm the next day near Castle Mills Complex (near his residence) in Thane.
The complainant soon approached ACB and narrated the incident. "We asked him to deliver the money and alcohol at the said spot. We laid a trap and caught Bane red-handed accepting Rs3 lakh and bottles of Black Dog whisky worth about Rs16,000," added the officer.
He said the agency had received several other complaints too against Bane. "We are probing all complaints. We want people who have similar complaints against this officer to come forward," he added. Call 022 25427979 for registering complaints against Bane.
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