Regional deputy commissioner of textile dept arrested for accepting bribe

Officers said the trader wished to become a shareholder of Pakka Rang Saree Co-operative Association Limited and had applied for the same. However, his plea was rejected, and he appealed against the decision before the textile department.

“Saswade was looking into the case. However, as he was delaying the matter, the complainant and 20 others whose applications for becoming shareholders in the association were also rejected in Malegaon, moved a writ petition in the Bombay High Court,” said an officer.

The HC went on to instruct Saswade’s office to take a decision on the pleas. “Following this, Saswade approached the complainant and other applicants through a middleman. He demanded Rs 30 lakh from them in return for passing an order in their favour. As they did not wish to pay him a bribe, a complaint was filed with the Mumbai unit of the ACB,” the officer said.

“We laid a trap for Saswade and arrested him while he was accepting Rs 15 lakh, the first installment of the bribe, in his office at Mazgaon,” the officer added. Saswade has been booked under Section 7 of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988.