Thane, Apr 16 (PTI) Two forest department officials have been arrested in Maharashtra’s Thane district for allegedly demanding and accepting a bribe of Rs 25,000 to issue an NOC for a petrol pump, the anti-corruption bureau (ACB) said on Thursday.
The accused have been identified as forester Vilas Shivaji Sanap and forest guard Rekha Gaikwad, both stationed at the forest department office in Kunda, Mamnoli, under Kalyan taluka, it said.
According to Deputy Superintendent of Police (ACB) Anil Jaykar, the complainant had received a sanction to open a new petrol pump and required a mandatory no-objection certificate (NOC) from the forest department.
When he applied for the certificate, Sanap allegedly demanded Rs 50,000 to process the request. Following negotiations, the bribe amount was reduced to Rs 25,000.
After being alerted, the ACB laid a trap at the forest office on Wednesday and caught Gaikwad while accepting the bribe amount on behalf of the forester.
Sanap and Gaikwad have been arrested under the Prevention of Corruption Act, and a probe is underway, the official said. PTI COR NR
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