ACB Traps BMC K/West Ward Sub-Engineer, Staffer Over Rs 60,000 Bribe in Andheri West

Officers from the Mumbai Unit of the Anti-Corruption Bureau have booked and apprehended a sub-engineer and a staff member from the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation's K/West ward in Andheri West for allegedly demanding and accepting a bribe from a bakery businessman.

The accused have been identified as Niravkumar Jaisur, 43, a sub-engineer at the K/West Ward office in Andheri West, and Vijay Patil, 46, a staffer working at the same civic administrative office.

According to the anti-graft agency, the 50-year-old complainant wanted to continue operating his bakery business without facing regulatory action from civic authorities. Patil allegedly demanded a bribe of Rs 70,000 on behalf of himself and Sub-Engineer Jaisur to allow the business to run smoothly. Refusing to pay the amount, the bakery owner approached the Anti-Corruption Bureau and submitted a formal complaint against both public servants on Wednesday.

During the verification process carried out on Wednesday, ACB investigators confirmed that Patil had demanded the Rs 70,000 payment and arranged a meeting between the complainant and his senior officer. During that meeting, Jaisur negotiated with the complainant and ultimately settled on a reduced bribe demand of Rs 60,000.

The ACB subsequently planned and executed a trap operation on Wednesday at the K/West Ward Office premises in Andheri West. Bureau officials caught Patil red-handed near the ground floor elevator as he accepted the negotiated bribe sum of Rs 60,000 from the complainant.

Following Patil's apprehension, ACB personnel took Jaisur into custody directly from his ward office. A personal search of Jaisur led to the seizure of two mobile phones.

Investigators also searched Patil at the scene, recovering one mobile phone and Rs 40,820 in cash from his person. In addition to the trap money and personal cash, ACB officials searched Patil's bag and recovered an additional Rs 2,37,600 in cash.