Mumbai: Two Held for Accepting Rs 75 Lakh Bribe from Property Developer, BMC Officer to Be Questioned

Officials from the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) have arrested Mohammad Shehzada Mohammad Yaseen Shah and Prateek Vijay Pise for accepting a bribe of Rs 75 lakhs from property developer. The accused had demanded a total of Rs 2 crore from the complainant. Mandar Ashok Tari, a designated officer of the East Municipal Corporation, is a wanted accused in this case. He will soon be questioned by the relevant authorities, and his statement will be recorded. An ACB official stated that action will be taken against him after the investigation.

The 58-year-old complainant owns a four-story building, of which two floors are unauthorized. Recently, officers from the K-West Division inspected the building and found that the third and fourth floors were constructed without authorization. Orders were issued to take action against these two floors. The complainant had met with Mandar Tari, a designated officer of the K-East Division, regarding this matter.

During the meeting, the complainant requested Tari not to take any action against the floors and to cooperate regarding the unauthorized construction after purchasing the planned plot. Tari demanded a bribe of Rs 2 crore to not take action. The complainant either paid the bribe or was threatened with indirect action against the building.

On July 31, the complainant filed a complaint against Mandar Tari with the ACB, pretending to be ready to pay the Rs 2 crore. The complaint was verified by the relevant authorities, revealing that Tari had demanded the amount and promised not to demolish the unauthorized floors and to cooperate with the unauthorized construction after purchasing the planned plot.

According to the plan, the first installment of Rs 75 lakhs was to be paid on Tuesday. The complainant went with the amount, and Mohammad Shehzada and Prateek Pise accepted the bribe on behalf of Mandar Tari. At this moment, the ACB officials, who had laid a trap, caught the two red-handed while accepting the bribe. During interrogation, the accused admitted that they had taken the bribe on behalf of Mandar Tari, thus implicating him in the crime.

The ACB has registered a case against all three under sections 7 and 7A of the Prevention of Corruption Act. The police will soon interrogate Mandar Tari in connection with these crimes. Following the interrogation, the police will submit a report to the senior officials, who will take appropriate action against him.