Several police officers are believed to have been hand-in-glove with the two touts arrested by the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) .
ACB on Tuesday held two touts who facilitated licences for security agenciesSeveral police officers are believed to have been hand-in-glove with the two touts arrested by the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) on Tuesday on charges of wrongfully influencing staff in the police licensing department.
The duo allegedly facilitated procurement of arms and other necessary licences for private security agencies. Senior ACB officers said the role of the policemen involved in the scam would be probed.
The ACB on Tuesday had arrested a 27-year-old private security agency consultant, Brahma-prakash Gupta, who claimed to have close relations with Hemant Karkare, joint commissioner of police, administration.
Police inspector Ramesh Kadam of the arms and ammunition licensing branch learnt about the duo and informed Karkare.
“Karkare himself called up Gupta posing as a client who wanted to get a licence made and promised to send his manager for further proceedings,” said Satam. Karkare then informed the ACB, which sent a decoy to meet Gupta.
The duo was arrested under section 8 (taking gratification, by corrupt or illegal means, to influence public servants) of the Prevention of Corruption Act. They have been remanded in the ACB’s custody till February 27.
Gupta and his accomplice, Sunil Vishwakarma, reportedly approached people who needed licences for starting security agencies and demanded up to Rs3 lakh, promising to get their work done through their contacts in the police force.
“Getting a licence made involves procedures from the local police station to the final sanction from the joint commissioner of police, administration. The duo promised to get licences made by managing everyone from the police station to the DCP’s office to the final authority,” said Prabhakar Satam, additional DCP, ACB.
Gupta, a resident of Bhuleshwar, said in his statement that he had got 35 licences made for people in Mumbai and five in Thane and that he charged between Rs1 lakh and Rs3 lakh. Vishwakarma, a resident of Thane, helped Gupta in the paperwork.
The ACB seized several letterheads, a laptop, a pen drive, and four mobile phones from the duo. According to the officer investigating the case, one Mahabali Shetty had a security agency named Kesari Enterprises in Tardeo. Shetty had asked Gupta to get a licence made for him. In return, Gupta used the office belonging to Shetty. That was where he and Vishwakarma were arrested.
s_jyoti@dnaindia.net 
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