Mumbai: CIDCO assistant planner booked for ‘accepting bribe’

According to ACB officials, the accused has been identified as Priyadarshan Waghmare. “Waghmare had demanded Rs 7 lakh from the complainant who had eventually paid Rs 6.5 lakh in September,” a senior officer said.

Mumbai’s CIDCO official arrested in a bribery case. (Representational)

The Navi Mumbai Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) lodged a case against an assistant planner at CIDCO on Saturday. The accused had allegedly taken Rs 6.5 lakh bribe from the complainant in 2017. According to police, the case was registered after the complainant did not get the land parcel that he had demanded.

According to ACB officials, the accused has been identified as Priyadarshan Waghmare. “Waghmare had demanded Rs 7 lakh from the complainant who had eventually paid Rs 6.5 lakh in September,” a senior officer said. The money had exchanged hands as the complainant wanted a parcel of land that CIDCO was relinquishing. However, the land parcel had already been given to someone else,” the officer added.

The complainant also told the ACB officers that the accused had promised to return him the money. “The complainant, a land developer, received Rs 2.5 lakh back, but did not get Rs 4 lakh. So, he approached us,” a senior officer said.

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The ACB lodged an FIR against Waghmare at the CBD Belapur police station, sources said. “We have booked him not only for demanding bribe but also for cheating the complainant. Arrests shall be made soon,” the senior officer said.
This is the fourth case lodged by the ACB against CIDCO officials, sources said. “We had trapped three officials earlier, along with a planner, who was from Waghmare’s department. We are looking if all of these officials are connected,” an officer said.

Waghmare could not be reached for a comment, while the CIDCO officials refused to comment.

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