News Analysis India

Tag: Anti-Corruption Bureau

  • Rajya Sabha polls: Congress in Rajasthan approaches anti-corruption bureau alleging horse-trading 

    Express News Service

    JAIPUR: The Rajya Sabha election in Rajasthan is getting murkier by the day. On Sunday, the ruling Congress complained to the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB)  and the Special Operations Group (SOG) of the Rajasthan police that horse-trading efforts are being made to lure MLAs to switch sides. 

    Congress chief whip Mahesh Joshi lodged a formal complaint alleging that efforts were underway to tempt MLAs of the Congress camp after some MLAs provided inputs that telephonic efforts are being made to lure them to vote for BJP-backed candidate Subhash Chandra. The Congress is also relieved as it has pacified six MLAs who were angry but reached the Udaipur resort along with CM Ashok Gehlot.

    Mahesh Joshi, the Congress Chief Whip in the assembly, has demanded a thorough probe by the ACB to ensure that corrupt deals are not struck to tempt MLAs. Enticing and taking/giving money in a corrupt manner comes under the category of crime and Joshi has asked ACB to start a legal investigation to eliminate the possibility of horse-trading.

    While talking to the media after registering the complaint, Joshi said that apprehensions are being expressed from social media and other sources that in the Rajya Sabha elections, a big game of money power is being played. Joshi claimed that the BJP is playing the dirty game of horse-trading in Rajasthan through media baron Subhash Chandra.

    Although Chandra is projected as an independent candidate, all his proposers are BJP MLAs and Joshi alleged that horse-trading is being tried to fetch votes for Chandra. Joshi said, “the BJP is spoiling the atmosphere through horse-trading for the Rajya Sabha elections. They are playing the game of horse-trading which threatens to weaken democracy. As I am the government chief whip in the state assembly, it is my moral responsibility to bring such conspiracies of the BJP in front of the public.”

    For the Congress, there was more relief as it was able to pacify the six MLAs who were angry.  After two days of meetings, the six MLAs met CM Gehlot late on Saturday night and the Chief Minister was finally able to convince the angry MLAs who were being called ‘the G6 Group’.  After this, CM Gehlot took these MLAs to Udaipur by a special plane on Sunday. These MLAs include Minister of State for Sainik Welfare Rajendra Gudha, Ramkhiladi Berwa, Girraj Singh Malinga, Wajid Ali, Sandeep Yadav and Lakhan Singh Meena.

    Of these, four had joined the Congress from BSP in 2019 and Gehlot targeted the BJP and asserted, “ for our comrades who came from BSP to Congress and saved the government in the political crisis two years ago, the Rajya Sabha election is a very small matter. They had minor displeasure which has gone away.  What can BJP expect from them?  Questions will arise on why BJP fielded another candidate even though there was no vote.”  The G6 MLAs had opened a front against the government for the past several days over their pending issues.

    Meanwhile, the Aravali Resort in Udaipur where all MLAs of Congress camp have been herded has virtually turned into a fortress with security all around. Ahead of the Rajya Sabha elections, a police cordon has been built around the resort. Over 150 policemen in uniform and plain clothes have been deployed on duty at different check posts in a circle of 300 feet around the resort.  The police have been directed that any outsider, whose ID is not verified, should not be able to move beyond the bridge of the resort under any circumstances. Also, there is a clear instruction that no MLA can go out of the resort without approval.

    Significantly, there is an atmosphere of happiness in the Udaipur resort after CM Gehlot persuaded the G-6 angry MLAs.  Now, the fears for Congress’s third candidate Pramod Tiwari not getting elected to Rajya Sabha have greatly receded.

  • Pune court sends civic panel chairman, four others to police custody till August 21 in bribery case

    By PTI

    PUNE: A local court here remanded the standing committee chairman of the Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC) and four others to police custody till August 21 in a bribery case.

    The Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) had arrested the PCMC’s standing committee chairman and BJP corporator Nitin Landge, his personal assistant Dnyaneshwar Pingle, clerk Vijay Chavariya, computer operator Rajendra Shinde and peon Arvind Kamble in connection with the alleged bribery of Rs 1.18 lakh.

    The accused were produced before additional sessions judge (special court) SB Hedaoo. “The court has sent all four accused to police custody till August 21,” ACB DSP Seema Mehandale said. As per the complainant’s statement, at least 16 people are involved in the case, the official said.

    According to the ACB, the complainant runs an advertising agency and 28 of his tenders were passed in the standing committee of the PCMC. When the complainant did not get the work order, he approached Landge and his PA, who allegedly demanded a bribe equal to 3 per cent of the bid amount, that is Rs 10 lakh, the ACB stated.

    Following negotiations, the bribe amount was fixed at Rs 6 lakh, and unwilling to pay the amount, the ad agency owner lodged the complaint with the ACB, it was stated. The accused on Wednesday demanded Rs 1.18 lakh, and three of them were caught while accepting the bribe.

  • Maharashtra government gives nod to anti-corruption body’s probe against ex-top cop Param Bir Singh

    By ANI
    MUMBAI: Maharashtra government on Thursday gave approval to the state’s Anti Corruption Bureau (ACB) for opening an inquiry into allegations against former Mumbai Police Commissioner Param Bir Singh for demanding Rs 2 crore to reinstate police officer Anup Dange, who was suspended by the former during his tenure.

    Police officer Anup Dange had alleged that he was approached by a person claiming to be a relative of Param Bir Singh to get him reinstated into the Mumbai Police after his suspension by paying Rs 2 crore. Dange in his complaint to Maharashtra Home Department had also alleged that Param Bir Singh had links with criminal elements.

    The agency had sought approval of the state government for open inquiry after they found some substance in the complaint of the officer in their preliminary enquiry.

    Param Bir Singh is already facing FIR and probe in his alleged wrongdoings during his tenure as Thane police commissioner. He has been made a witness in the Antilia bomb scare and Mansukh Hiren death case also.

    Enforcement Directorate (ED) and Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) have also recorded his statement in the alleged corruption and money laundering case against former Maharashtra Home Minister Anil Deshmukh.

  • Chhattisgarh ACB raids nine premises linked to senior IPS officer GP Singh

    By Express News Service
    RAIPUR: The anti-corruption bureau (ACB) sleuths conducted extensive raids on the residence of ADG-rank IPS officer GP Singh in the early hours of Thursday. Eight other premises linked to bureaucrat are also under ACB scanner in an alleged disproportionate assets case.

    This is the first time the ACB raids have taken place against any IPS officer in Chhattisgarh. A year ago, Singh was the chief of the ACB and the Economic Offences Wing and in last June, he was transferred as the director of the state police academy.

    The 1994-batch IPS officer has earlier served as the IG of Raipur, Durg and Bilaspur.

    According to the sources, there are 10 teams of the ACB deployed in the raids and searches that are still underway.

  • Maharashtra Anti-Corruption Bureau​ books Thane police constable for seeking bribe from gutka seller

    By PTI
    THANE: The Maharashtra Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) has registered an offence against a police constable in Maharashtra’s Thane city for allegedly demanding a bribe of Rs 1.20 lakh from a person in exchange of not taking any action against him for selling gutka, which is banned in the state, an official said.

    He said that the case against the constable, who is attached to the Mumbra police station in the city, was registered under the Prevention of Corruption Act by the ACB’s Thane unit on Wednesday. The constable, Uday Bhaskar Kirpan, had demanded Rs 1,20,000 from the complainant for not registering a case against him and his brother after they were found selling gutka illegally.

    The constable later agreed to accept Rs 50,000 as the first instalment. However, the complainant approached the ACB, which registered a case against the policeman, the anti-graft agency said.

  • Corruption complaint filed against former Mumbai top cop Param Bir Singh, two others

    By PTI
    MUMBAI: A complaint has been filed against former Mumbai police commissioner Param Bir Singh, former police officer Pradeep Sharma and inspector Rajkumar Kothmire with the Anti Corruption Bureau (ACB) for alleged extortion and corruption, an official said on Friday.

    The complaint was filed by Virar-based builder Mayuresh Raut with the Director General of ACB on Wednesday, he said.

    These officers extorted money, cars, property and documents from him when Singh was Thane police commissioner, the complainant alleged.

    The ACB has summoned Raut to record his statement at its Thane office on Monday, sources said.

    Raut had earlier leveled allegations of corruption in a separate complaint against Sharma, former senior police inspector of the Anti Extortion Cell (AEC), Thane, seeking probe into his assets.

    A similar complaint was also filed against Kothmire on May 7 and a collective complaint mentioning the names of three officers including IPS officer Param Bir Singh was filed on Wednesday, sources said.

    Singh was shunted out as Mumbai commissioner and transferred to Home Guard after the arrest of police officer Sachin Waze in the Ambani residence bomb scare case.

    Singh later made allegations of corruption against then Maharashtra home minister Anil Deshmukh, who subsequently resigned.

  • FIR against Maharashtra BJP vice president’s husband in 2016 corruption case 

    By Express News Service
    MUMBAI: BJP Maharashtra vice president Chitra Wagh’s husband Kishor Wagh has come under the Anti-Corruption Bureau’s (ACB) scanner in connection with a 2016 corruption case.

    The Anti-Corruption Bureau has lodged an FIR against Chitra Wagh’s husband for amassing disproportionate assets. The case has been registered against Kishor Wagh, who was an employee of the Mahatma Gandhi Memorial Hospital, under Section 13(2) in The Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988, section 13 (2) and 13 (1) E. 

    As per this section, any public servant who commits criminal misconduct shall be punishable with imprisonment for a term that shall be not less than one year but which may extend to seven years and shall also be liable to a fine.

    “The income of the Wagh family is 90 per cent more than their actual income. Besides, Mr Wagh had not sought the government permission while flying to Dubai and he has not also filed his income details with the government department that is mandatory,” an open inquiry by ACB revealed. 

    Ms Wagh reacting to the allegations said her husband is innocent and he was wrongly framed in this case. She insisted that her husband had not taken a single penny. 

    “There are several cases which are pending with the ACB but they do not have time for the inquiry. The home department is after my husband. When I was in NCP and the BJP government had framed the charges that time our party leader Sharad Pawar checked the details and told me there was nothing serious there. My husband is innocent, Pawar told me,” claimed Chitra Wagh.

    Senior BJP leaders including the Leader of Opposition, Legislative Council Pravin Darekar and senior BJP leader Ashish Shelar came out in support of Chitra Wagh. 

    Ashish Shelar said Chitra Wagh has been fighting for the justice of deceased Tiktok star Pooja Chavan against Shiv Sena minister Sanjay Rathod and this had led to her being deliberately targeted by the Maha Vikasa Aghadi government.

    Maharashtra Congress spokesperson Sachin Sawant though pointed out that the case against Chitra Wagh husband was registered during BJP chief minister Devendra Fadnavis time in 2016. 

    “Mr Fadnavis it was who moved this matter to ACB for open inquiry. Meanwhile, Ms Wagh left the NCP and joined the BJP. Then due to the pandemic situation, the inquiry by ACB was not completed. Now, it has been done and FIR has been file against Mr Wagh,” clarified Sawant.