Graft case: Over 80 govt files found at agent's house

Anti-Corruption Bureau sleuths, probing a graft case against a Maharashtra revenue official and two agents, has recovered a heap of government files from the residence of one of the agents in suburban Kurla.
"Over 80 government files have been found at the residence Vaibhav Andhale (23), who is an agent. These files should have been in revenue department office instead of his Kurla house," an investigating officer said today.
Additional Police Commissioner Vishwas Nangare Patil confirmed the recovery of the large number of files from Andhale's residence.
The assets of the arrested accused Sanjay Suradkar (45), a desk officer with revenue department, and two middlemen Andhale and Devidas Dahifale (23), were being verified, police said.

The three were arrested yesterday near revenue office at World Trade Centre in South Mumbai after they allegedly took a bribe of Rs 23 lakh from a complainant - a property dealer who has a power of attorney of 18 acres Devsthan trust land in Pune district.
The complainant wanted the trust land to be converted into a normal land, so that constructions could be carried out on it. The matter was brought before the top authority in revenue department for hearing, which gave an order in favour of the complainant.

However, to get the order copy, Andhale asked him to cough up Rs 25 lakh following which the complainant informed the ACB.

Andhale took first instalment of Rs 23 lakh from the victim and handed over Rs 1 lakh to Suradkar and Rs 50,000 to Dahifale as their share yesterday, police said.
All the accused were then caught with Rs 23 lakh cash by the ACB and placed under arrest as per relevant sections of the Prevention of Corruption Act.
Police said before taking Rs 23 lakh as bribe, Andhale had also allegedly pocketed Rs 10 lakh from the victim to ensure that the latter's work was expedited without any hassles.