District Health Officer held for Rs 10,000 bribe

The District Health Officer (DHO) of Amravati Zilla Parishad was caught while accepting a bribe of Rs 10,000 from one of his subordinates, Anti- Corruption Bureau (ACB) officials said today.
Rameshwar Janardhan Paradkar (43) was trapped by ACB sleuths yesterday while accepting the bribe money from his subordinate, a medical officer, for settling a show-cause notice served to him by the former, Deputy Superintendent of Police (ACB Amravati) R N Ghule said.
The medical officer, who lodged a complaint with ACB, is posted at Tembrusonda Public Health Centre in Chikhaldara tehsil. Paradkar had on June 27 served a show-cause notice on the complainant, alleging infant and maternal mortality ratios had increased under his jurisdiction, and sought a reply.

On July 17, the Medical Officer met Paradkar in his Amravati office and requested him to settle the issue. The DHO demanded Rs 10,000 to withdraw the notice, Ghule said.
Paradkar has been arrested and further investigation was on, he added.