BDO caught accepting Rs 500 bribe
BHANDARA: The block development officer of Sakoli panchayat samiti was caught red-handed by sleuths of anti-corruption department on Thursday while accepting a bribe of Rs 500 from an employee in his office. A criminal case under section 7, 13(1)(D), 13(2) of Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988, has been registered against him at Sakoli police station.
Nimba Balaramji Ahirkar (57) is a Class I block development officer and heads Sakoli panchayat samiti as block development officer. The complainant Ramesh Rajaram Mendhe is a junior clerk in the office of Sakoli panchayat samiti.
Mendhe was on leave from November 29 to December 10, and he had applied for leave travel concession (LTC) for the period. He had submitted the bills and requested the BDO to sanction his bill. BDO Ahirkar, however, avoided him on one or the other pretext. When Mendhe finally met Ahirkar, the BDO told him to give him Rs 500 if he wanted the bill to be sanctioned.
Mendhe filed a complaint with the office of the anti-corruption bureau, Bhandara. The ACB laid a trap on Thursday at the Sakoli panchayat samiti office. Mendhe met BDO Ahirkar in his office at 10.30am and gave him Rs 500.
As soon as Ahirkar accepted the money, ACB sleuths caught him red-handed with the amount. After completing the legal formalities, BDO Ahirkar was arrested and now he is lodged in police custody. Sources said that there are only eleven months left for the retirement of accused BDO Ahirkar.