Policeman among two held for accepting bribe

Two persons, including a policeman, have been arrested from Vashi in Navi Mumbai for allegedly accepting a bribe of Rs 30,000 for not taking action against a vendor for selling banned pan masala, the ACB said Tuesday.

The accused are identified as Rameshwar Khatal, a police naik, and his accomplice Bhura Patidhar who runs a tea stall in Vashi, the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) stated in a release.

Khatal had seized the banned pan masala from the complainant and allegedly demanded Rs 4 lakh to hush up the matter, but later settled for Rs 60,000, it said.

Meanwhile, the complainant approached the ACB which laid a trap near the tea stall Monday night and nabbed Patidhar when he was accepting the first installment of Rs 30,000.

Khatal was held when he arrived at at the tea stall to collect the money from Patidhar, the ACB said.

A case has been registered under Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988, and further investigation is underway.