Top private security firm official in ACB net for bribe

Sleuths of Anti-Corruption Bureau today arrested a retired Lieutenant Colonel, who is now at a senior post in a leading private security services company, for allegedly accepting a bribe of Rs 50,000, an official said here.
Ramesh Taneja, the ex-Army officer who is assistant vice president of a top security company, was trapped by ACB while accepting the bribe from a person to release the latter's pending bill with the company for rendering service under a government scheme.
Acting on a tip-off, a trap was laid in a residential building in suburban Goregaon where he was accepting the first instalment of the bribe amount, said Director General of Police (ACB) Pravin Dixit.

"Taneja was found accepting a bribe of Rs 50,000, the first instalment of the total demanded sum of Rs 1,56,000. He was caught accepting bribe and later arrested," Dixit added.
The bribery case has its origin in Swarnajayanti Gram Swarojgar Yojana (SGSY), a Central Government scheme launched to provide sustainable income to the poor.
Under the scheme, poor and backward people -- aged between 18 to 35 years -- are imparted training in various skills, including nursing, plumbing, housekeeping and security services, among others.

In Maharashtra, the security company has been tasked with training people in skills required for becoming a security guard under the plan and the company is paid Rs 14,000-16,000 per person, said Additional Commissioner of Police Vishwas Nangare Patil.

"However, the company has appointed a contractor, which imparted security training to 206 people across the State and sent a bill of Rs 11 lakh of which Rs 7 lakh had been paid by the private company," he said.
To release the remaining Rs 4 lakh, Taneja demanded a bribe of Rs 1.56 lakh. The contractor agreed to pay but at the same time lodged a complaint with ACB on May 25, and the trap was laid, police said.