The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Wednesday arrested Vijay Patankar, the Panel Advocate of Indian Bank in Kolhapur, Maharashtra, for demanding and accepting a bribe of Rs1.7 lakh from a complainant. Patankar, a resident of Ichalkaranji, was caught red-handed in his office as part of an ongoing investigation into the alleged bribery scam.
The complaint against Patankar was registered by the CBI on Tuesday, based on allegations that he had initially demanded Rs2.5 lakh from the complainant. Patankar had agreed to reduce the amount after negotiations, eventually accepting Rs1.7 lakh. The bribe was allegedly sought to defer the possession of the complainant’s mortgaged property under the SARFAESI Act.
The property had been offered by the complainant to Indian Bank for a loan of Rs5.5 crore, which had subsequently turned into a non-performing asset (NPA). The advocate had used his position to facilitate the deferral of the property possession in exchange for the bribe.
A trap was set by CBI officials, and the accused was apprehended while accepting the bribe in his office. Following the arrest, CBI officials conducted searches at both Patankar’s residential and official premises in Ichalkaranji, leading to the recovery of incriminating documents.
