Agriculture officer, 2 others held for taking Rs 5 lakh bribe

The Anti-Corruption Bureau arrested an agriculture officer and two others for allegedly taking Rs 5 lakh bribe from a farmer while promising him a better compensation for his trees cut for road construction.

According to the ACB police inspector, Ajinath Kashinath, the complainant farmer's land had been acquired for construction of the Nagpur-Mumbai Expressway at Mauj Deualgaon village in Jalna.

Around 1,000 mango trees which were cut on the land were valued at around Rs 3 crore.

The complainant had submitted an application to the tehsil agriculture officer, Rameshwar Annasaheb Rodge (48), for a revaluation of the compensation.

Rodge allegedly demanded Rs 20 lakh as bribe for the purpose, the ACB inspector said.
 

The victim then approached the city police's ACB which laid a trap and caught Rodge and the two middlemen in Nutan Vasahat area yesterday while they were allegedly taking Rs 5 lakh as the first instalment of bribe from the complainant, Kashinath said.

The police also seized a car in which the accused had come to the spot and a revolver kept in the vehicle, he said.

A case was registered against the arrested persons under relevant sections, he added.