Ratnagiri ACB action : Executive Engineer Ganesh Salgar arrested while accepting ₹2 lakh bribe !

Clerk Shekhar Pawar also arrested

Ratnagiri, Maharashtra – The District Anti-Corruption Bureau has caught Executive Engineer Ganesh Haridas Salgar of the Irrigation Department and junior clerk Shekhar Chandramani Pawar while accepting a bribe of ₹2 lakh.

1. The complainant is engaged in the construction business and had been awarded work related to soil treatment and leakage prevention at the ‘Bholavali Minor Irrigation Scheme’ dam in Mandangad taluka. The complainant had completed the work; however, ₹11,30,893 was deducted from the final bill. To recover this deducted amount, the complainant approached Salgar.

2. On 18 March, Salgar demanded a bribe of ₹3,40,000 from the complainant to facilitate the release of the deducted amount.

3. On 27 March, the complainant lodged a written complaint with the Ratnagiri District Anti-Corruption Bureau.

4. On the same day, verification of the complaint was conducted in the presence of two witnesses. After negotiation, the bribe amount was settled at ₹2 lakh.

5. During a trap operation laid within the jurisdiction of Ratnagiri City Police Station, Executive Engineer Salgar instructed that the bribe amount be handed over to clerk Shekhar Pawar.

6. Pawar accepted ₹2 lakh from the complainant, following which the Anti-Corruption Bureau team immediately arrested both Salgar and Pawar.

Editorial Perspectives

• If such corrupt individuals are punished immediately and strictly, others will not dare to engage in such acts !

• Only when the entire property of corrupt persons, along with that of those who assist or silently support them, is confiscated will such practices be effectively curbed !