Revenue office staffer held for accepting Rs 14 lakh bribe

A stenographer attached to a government revenue office here in Maharashtra was arrested for allegedly taking a bribe of Rs 14 lakh, an official at the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) said Wednesday.

Sunil Kamble, 50, was caught accepting the bribe at his office in Bhiwandi town on Tuesday evening, he said.

A man from Asnoli village had approached the office of the sub-divisional officer (SDO) in Bhiwandi in connection with the cancellation of an entry pertaining to his farm land.

Kamble, who worked as a stenographer at the office, promised the villager to facilitate a land order in his favour. He allegedly demanded Rs 15 lakh for it, but finally settled for Rs 14 lakh, the ACB official said.

The villager then complained to the ACB which laid a trap and the stenographer was caught accepting Rs 14 lakh as bribe, he said.

The accused was later placed under arrest and booked under relevant sections of the Prevention ofCorruptionAct, the official said.