Chief inspection officer caught red-handed accepting Rs 1.75 lakh for not acting against gas agency

In October 2024, action was taken against the complainant’s gas agency by Nikam. In August 2024, action was taken against the gas agency of his relatives in Thane by the rationing department.

Thereafter, on July 16, Nikam contacted the complainant on his mobile and asked him to come and meet him in the office.

Accordingly, when the complainant met Vinayak Nikam on July 17, he demanded a bribe of Rs 1.5 lakh per month for not taking action against the complainant’s gas agency and Rs 1 lakh for not taking action against the gas agency of his relatives, totalling Rs 2.5 lakh per month.

When the complainant said he cannot pay that much money and asked for some way out, the accused told him that he would have to talk to ‘saheb’. The next day the accused contacted the complainant and said he had spoken to saheb, and asked him to meet him.

However, since the complainant did not want to pay the bribe, he appeared in person at the Anti-Corruption Bureau, Worli, Mumbai on July 25 and filed a complaint. The ACB verified the complaint and found it to be genuine.

Accordingly, the complainant was asked to meet the accused, and the latter was caught red-handed while accepting a bribe of Rs 1.75 lakh from the complainant.

Accordingly, a case was registered against him, and he was placed under arrest.