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₹35,000 bribe inside Mantralaya! ACB traps FDA clerk in minister’s office, Congress demands ouster
The Maharashtra Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) on Thursday arrested a clerk from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) department for allegedly accepting a bribe of ₹35,000 to restore a suspended medical licence. The accused, identified as Rajendra Dherange, was working as a clerk in the FDA department under the charge of state minister Narahari Zirwal. According […]
The accused was caught red-handed while accepting ₹35,000 as part of the demanded bribe. (Express File Photo)
The Maharashtra Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) on Thursday arrested a clerk from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) department for allegedly accepting a bribe of ₹35,000 to restore a suspended medical licence.
The accused, identified as Rajendra Dherange, was working as a clerk in the FDA department under the charge of state minister Narahari Zirwal. According to ACB officials, Dherange had allegedly demanded ₹50,000 from a complainant for reinstating a cancelled licence.
After the complainant approached the ACB office and registered a complaint, officials verified the allegations and laid a trap inside the Mantralaya building. The accused was caught red-handed while accepting ₹35,000 as part of the demanded bribe.
An ACB official said the trap was executed inside the department office and further investigation into the case is underway.
The arrest has sparked a political controversy after Maharashtra Congress president Harshvardhan Sapkal demanded accountability at the ministerial level.
“Shocking information has come to light that the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) laid a trap in the office of a cabinet minister at the Mantralaya and took a bribe-taking official into custody. It has once again become clear that under the highly corrupt Mahayuti government, open bribery and commission-taking are rampant in the Mantralaya. A situation has arisen where public work does not get done without money. This is an extremely serious matter.” Sapkal said.
Narahari Zirwal is a senior Maharashtra politician and a cabinet minister in the state government, currently handling the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) portfolio. A prominent tribal leader from north Maharashtra, Zirwal has been associated with the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) and has represented the Dindori constituency in the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly for five times.
Zirwal was not available for comment.
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