The Thane Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) on Monday arrested Supply Department Deputy Commissioner Anil Taksale, posted at Konkan Bhavan, for allegedly accepting a bribe of Rs 5 lakh from a rice trader through private intermediaries. Two private individuals, Sai Pritam Madhav Amin and Raja Ganesh Thevar, were also arrested in connection with the case.
According to the ACB, the bribe was demanded to provide relief in an earlier case against the complainant, allow his rice trading business to continue without interference, and ensure no future departmental action would be taken against him.
The complainant, owner of Ekvira Trading Company, approached the ACB on January 5, claiming that he had been asked to pay Rs 5 lakh as a one-time bribe and Rs 2 lakh per month thereafter. This followed a December 30 raid by the Supply Department at the complainant’s godown, where officials reportedly found illegal rice stock, leading to a case at the Bhiwandi Taluka Police Station.
During verification on January 7, the ACB discovered that Taksale had agreed through intermediaries to accept Rs 5 lakh upfront and a reduced monthly payment of Rs 1.5 lakh. Acting on this information, the ACB laid a trap near Laxmi Hotel in CBD Belapur.
Raja Thevar was caught red-handed while collecting Rs 5 lakh on the footpath outside the hotel. Sai Amin was then taken into custody, and later in the evening, Anil Taksale was arrested from Konkan Bhavan.
A senior ACB official said, “The public servant demanded a bribe through private agents and attempted to misuse his official position. The accused was arrested after the bribe amount was accepted during a trap operation.”
The ACB added that investigations are ongoing to determine if other officials were involved and to verify whether similar bribe demands were made to other traders.
A case has been registered at the CBD Belapur Police Station under Sections 7, 7(a), and 12 of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988.
