Rs 24 L found at Mahajan home

A day after the Anti-Corruption Bureau officials arrested Deputy Collector Dr Kiran Mahajan and clerk Rajesh Randive for taking bribe of Rs 2 lakh, the officials searched Mahajan's residence yesterday and found Rs 24 lakh in cash.

Rajesh Randive

Mahajan and Randive, who were produced in the Shivajinagar court yesterday, are currently out on bail. "A team had gone to search Mahajan's residence in Pashan and recovered Rs 24 lakh in cash.

The officials also seized documents related to a property, some sales deed and jewellery, collectively worth Rs 1.9 crore," ACB Police Inspector Rajendra Galande said.

In police net: Deputy Collector Dr Kiran Mahajan (right) being led by an ACB official. He was arrested after Rajesh Randive, a clerk at the Collector's Office, was caught red-handed taking Rs 2 lakh on Mahajan's behalf on Wednesday evening. Pics/Krunal Gosavi

Galande is the investigating officer in this case. He said a team would soon be sent to Mahajan's hometown in Sangali district where his land and other movable and immovable properties will be scrutinized.

"In this year, 78 traps were laid in which 103 public servants were arrested for accepting or demanding bribes from the complainants," Superintendent of Police (ACB) Sarang Awad said. "Officials from the revenue and the police department were at the helm of bribe-related arrests. A total of 32 public servants, including a Class I officer from the revenue department, were arrested in 27 traps laid by the ACB officials. Whereas 34 police personnel, including four officers, were arrested in 25 traps," said Awad.

He said the city had the highest number of traps (78) laid to arrest public servants accepting bribes in the state. District Collector Vikas Deshmukh refused to comment on the issue and said appropriate action would be taken against the guilty once the report from ACB official was in.u00a0