In what appeared to be straight out of a Bollywood movie, the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) caught an assistant commissioner of the Food and Drugs Administration (FDA) department red-handed for allegedly demanding and accepting a bribe to approve a man’s medical store license.
The ACB officials asked the complainant to signal them by removing his wristwatch and pocket it once the public servant accepts and keeps the bribe money. On receiving the signal, the ACB team that was in wait nearby, barged into the public servant’s office and caught him.
The accused public servant has been identified as DR Malpure, 57, Assistant Commissioner (Drugs), Thane. The complainant, a Diva resident, was starting a generic medical shop and wanted to obtain a license from the FDA Thane office. He had made an online application on August 7 on the FDA website.
On August 23, Malpure met the complainant and asked him to discuss his medical shop license issue on WhatsApp. Later, Malpure asked him to visit his office on August 26, where he allegedly demanded a bribe. As the complainant did not wish to pay the bribe, he approached the ACB office and filed a complaint in the matter on Wednesday.
The ACB officials verified the allegations that Malpure had demanded Rs30,000 and settled at Rs25,000 after negotiations. The ACB team decided to trap the public servant and gave him the ‘wrist watch’ code. On Wednesday, the complainant visited Malpure’s office with the cash.
The official opened the drawer on the left side of his table and signalled the complainant to keep the Rs25,000 inside the drawer. After coming out of Malpure’s office, the complainant gave the signal to the ACB team, which barged into Malpure’s office and recovered the bribe money. A case has been registered under section 7 (offence relating to public servants being bribed) of the Prevention of Corruption Act.
