Rajendra Dherange, the accused clerk, allegedly hiked his demand to Rs 50,000 for processing the license renewal. The complainant, unwilling to yield silently, tipped off ACB sleuths. What followed was a textbook sting operation, culminating in Dherange’s dramatic arrest Thursday night at his second-floor desk.

Political tempers flared as Congress president Harshvardhan Sapkal accused the ruling coalition of fostering a ‘bribery culture.’ He claimed proximity to a cabinet minister’s office amplified the scandal, calling for the CM’s intervention and the minister’s ouster.

ACB countered by pinpointing the exact FDA location, distancing it from ministerial turf. Nonetheless, the episode fuels narratives of entrenched malpractices. Charges under anti-graft laws are filed, and probes continue to trace accomplices.

Opposition voices decried a system where ‘no work moves without money,’ branding it a dire threat to public trust. They pressed for transparency and accountability from the top.

In a public service reminder, ACB urged vigilance: Any extortion by public servants should be reported immediately. As Mantralaya reels, this arrest signals zero tolerance, yet questions linger on preventing future lapses in regulatory bodies.