The Anti Corruption Bureau (ACB) apprehended a clerk at the Maharashtra Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for allegedly taking a bribe of Rs 35,000 at the state secretariat, Mantralaya. The incident was confirmed by an ACB official on Friday. Maharashtra Pradesh Congress Committee President Harshwardhan Sapkal stated that the clerk, Rajendra Dherange, was arrested in a Cabinet minister’s office, highlighting what he termed as “rampant corruption” under the BJP-led government. However, the ACB official clarified that Dherange was caught accepting the bribe at the FDA office on the second floor of the Mantralaya.
The clerk, identified as Rajendra Dherange, had reportedly demanded Rs 50,000 from a complainant seeking restoration of a medical license. Upon the complainant’s report to the ACB, a trap was set, leading to Dherange’s arrest while accepting Rs 35,000 as partial payment inside his office on Thursday evening. A case has been filed against him under the Prevention of Corruption Act, with an ongoing investigation, as per the official. Maharashtra Pradesh Congress Committee President Sapkal urged the Chief Minister to take serious action and dismiss the minister involved in the bribery incident.
Demanding swift action, Sapkal expressed concern over the prevalence of bribery and corruption within the Mantralaya, emphasizing the necessity for immediate intervention. He called for the Chief Minister to address the issue, disclose details to the public, and relieve the minister accused of bribery from their position.
