Priti Pathak
The Anti- Corrupting Bureau (ACB), Mumbai has arrested a lady officer, Sarla Sachin Khatavkar on Tuesday for demanding and accepting a bribe of Rs 2 lakh. The officer had already taken Rs 1.25 lakh of bribe from the complainant.
The press note issued by ACB stated that the accused lady is posted as a Food Security Officer in the FDA (Food and Drugs Administration) department in Bandra. The complainant has a business of Milk at Parnar in Ahmednagar district and supplies milk to Mumbai and Thane. In February 2013, Khatavkar registered an offence against the complainant for supply of sub-standard quality product. Later Khatavkar called the complainant and asked him to meet Gautam Vishwanath Jagtap, a Food Security Officer. Jagtap demanded Rs. 2 Lakhs from the complainant for favouring him in the matter and the complainant paid him a sum of Rs. 1 Lakh. After a period of six months Khatavkar again called him in the D’Mart Store at Vashi and demanded Rs. 50,000. Helpless complainant paid her Rs 25,000 as the bribe amount.
The complainant then received a notice to appear before the joint commissioner for hearing, where he again met Khatavkar who brought to his notice that there were two cases registered against him. Khatavkar allegedly demanded Rs. 2 Lakhs to settle the matter. On March 8, 2014; Khatavkar called the complainant on his mobile phone and demanded the money. The complainant was fed up with the demands of Khatavakar so he approached the ACB and registered an FIR against her.
On March 11 the ACB arrested Kahatavkar for accepting a bribe of Rs. 2 Lakhs. ACB is also verifying the role of Jagtap in the matter.