Senior PWD clerk arrested by ACB for receiving Rs 4,000 bribe

A senior Maharashtra Public Works Department (PWD) clerk was today arrested for allegedly accepting a bribe of Rs 4,000 for transferring the ownership of a chawl, an Anti-Corruption Bureau official said.
The clerk, Gnyanoba Patange, was arrested this morning from his office in BDD chawls at Worli in central Mumbai after a trap was laid by the ACB on a complaint of the victim who wanted to get the ownership of a house transferred in the name of his niece.
According to state ACB, the complainant has a house in BDD chawl number 105, which is in the name of his sister, who is no more. He had rented out the premises for the past few months.

He wanted to transfer this house in the name of his niece for which he approached the nearby PWD office in the chawl.
On Thursday, when he went to pay maintenance charges of the house to the PWD office, Patange demanded a bribe of Rs 45,000.
"The accused sought Rs 5,000 saying that he would not create any problem to the victim for renting out the house, by citing PWD rules and regulations. At the same time, he demanded Rs 40,000 for transfer of the house," said a ACB officer.
The complainant approached the ACB which directed him to strike a deal for Rs 44,000. Accordingly, the victim met Patange on Friday and agreed to give him Rs 4,000 of the total amount today.