ACB arrests headmistress and clerk while accepting bribe

Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) sleuths arrested the headmistress and clerk of the local Abhayankar Kannya Shala school on Tuesday while they accepted a bribe of Rs 14,000 from a school teacher, it was officially announced here today.
According to an ACB press release, headmistress Pranita Prakash Katewale (55) and her clerk Pratibha Shyam Deshpande (52) were caught red-handed while accepting a bribe of Rs 14,000 from a school teacher.
Both of them have been arrested under relevant sections of the Prevention of Corruption Act, the release stated.
Deputy Superintendent of ACB Satish Deshmukh stated in the release that the accused headmistress had asked the complainant to illegally collect Rs 700 each from 23 students who were admitted to class eleven of the science stream for 2013-14.

However, the teacher expressed his inability to do so since students are from poor families who are unable to afford even fees, the release stated.
The headmistress allegedly threatened to take action against the teacher and send an adverse report to the management about him, the release stated.

After the teacher refused to budge, the headmistress asked the teacher to pay the sum due against 20 poor girl students from his own pocket, the release stated.
Having no alternative, the teacher approached the ACB with a complaint against the headmistress, after which the ACB laid a trap and sent the teacher to the clerk to pay Rs 14,000 as demanded, ther release stated.

As the clerk accepted the bribe money, waiting ACB sleuths caught her red handed with the currency notes she received from the teacher, the release stated.
The clerk confessed to the ACB that she accepted the money as directed by the headmistress, after which both the headmistress and the clerk have been arrested, the release stated.