Ranjit Mahanti
THE Arthur Road Jail Superintendent Vasudeo Digambar Burkule and Deputy Superintendent Pradeep Annasaheb Parthikar were arrested on Wednesday night by the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB), Mumbai for accepting a bribe of Rs. 35,000 from a student to clear him in the Maharashtra prison manual exam.
According to press note issued by ACB the complainant had appeared for the post of Warden on March 25, 2014. He got a call from Parthikar saying his paper of subject Maharashtra Jail Rules had been checked by the Jail Superintendent and he had secured lesser marks in the subject. In order to increase his marks he will have to pay the Superintendent and the deputy Superintendent a bribe of Rs. 40,000.
Not willing to bribe the jail officers, the complainant approached the Maharashtra Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) on April 16 and registered FIR gainst the duo, (Complaint No. 28/2014). On the basis of the complaint ACB began investigating and asked the complainant to meet them in person in the Arthur Road Jail. According to the guidance of ACB the complainant met them where Burkule demanded Rs. 35,000 and suggested to give money to his subordinate Parthikar.
On the same day the complainant also met Parthikar in official’s residential colony at Arthur Road jail with the bribe amount. As Parthikar accepted amount ACB officials arrested him. Later Burkule was also arrested into the matter.
ACB sources said, after arrest of these accused ACB officials recovered Rs 70,000 cash from Burkule’s possession and while his house search resulted in recovery of Rs 40 lakh.