Power utility engineer arrested for taking bribe

An engineer of state-run power firm MSEDCL was on Friday arrested for allegedly accepting a bribe of Rs 50,000 from an electricity consumer to reduce his bill, the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) said.

The accused, Vishal Bagul, 32, a junior engineer with the Warsoli branch of MSEDCL (Maharashtra State Electricity Distribution Company Ltd) at Alibag in adjoining Raigad district demanded a bribe of Rs 1.10 lakh from the consumer to reduce his power bill of Rs 2,47,560, an ACB official said.

The aggrieved consumer lodged a complaint with the Thane range of ACB, which laid a trap and arrested Bagul while accepting the first installment of Rs 50,000, said Additional Superintendent of Police (Thane Range ACB) Mukund Hatote.