Stringent action to be taken against Kolhapur mayor involved in bribery case, says Ajit Pawar

Embarrassed over the alleged involvement of its Kolhapur city mayor, Trupti Malvi, in a bribery case, the NCP on Monday "took" her resignation even as senior party leader Ajit Pawar indicated taking a stringent action against her.

"The NCP chief of Kolhapur city has immediately taken her (Malvi's) resignation and has forwarded it for acceptance after she was accused of taking a bribe. The NCP wants further inquiry to be undertaken against her," Pawar said.

The Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) had on Friday registered a case against Malvi and her personal assistant Ashwin Gadkari for allegedly demanding a bribe of Rs 40,000 from a complainant for granting him alternative land in the city.

While Gadkari was arrested while allegedly receiving Rs 16,000 from the complainant, the Mayor got herself admitted in a local hospital complaining of uneasiness.

"NCP has never tolerated any act of corruption such as this. Whether the person is big or small, whatever clout the leader may have in the party, if the person has committed a mistake then he will have to pay for his mistakes, and that person will not be spared. Whatever investigations need to be conducted in this case, need to happen quickly," the former deputy chief minister said.