In a significant development, Dr. Deepak Rajaram Malpure, the 57-year-old Assistant Commissioner for the Konkan Division of the Food and Drug Administration in Maharashtra, was caught red-handed accepting a bribe of ₹25,000 on August 28, 2024. He was apprehended by the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) at the FDA office in Wagle Estate, Thane, following a complaint from a local businessman seeking a license for a new medical store.
According to the complaint filed on August 28, 2024, the businessman was in the process of opening a new medical store and approached the office of the Joint Commissioner (Drugs) for the necessary permit. Dr. Malpure, the public servant handling the case, initially demanded ₹50,000 to approve the license. After negotiations, the amount was reduced to ₹30,000 and finally settled at ₹25,000. The complainant then approached the ACB with this information.
The ACB acted swiftly on the complaint, conducting a verification process on the same day. During this operation, Dr. Malpure was caught accepting the agreed bribe amount of ₹25,000 at the Food and Drug Administration office in Thane.
A case has been registered at the Wagle Estate Police Station in Thane City. The operation was carried out under the guidance of senior ACB officials, including Sunil Lokhande, Superintendent of Police, and Additional Superintendents Gajanan Rathod and Mahesh Tarde.
The ACB has appealed to citizens to come forward with any information related to corruption or complaints against government officials demanding bribes. They have urged the public to contact the Anti-Corruption Bureau, Thane, to report such incidents.