ACB nabs agri-assistant, mediator while accepting bribe of Rs 1.45 lakh from farmer

Aurangabad, April 27:

The anti-corruption bureau (ACB) squad today has caught red-handed an agriculture assistant and a mediator while accepting a bribe of Rs 1.45 lakh from a marginal farmer against sanctioning of horticulture grant sanctioned by the government to encourage custard apple cultivation, at Jambhala in the afternoon. Daulatabad police station has registered offences against the agriculture assistant Arvind Wandekar and mediator Kishore Kashinath Kandekar (of Pekwadi in Gangapur tehsil). Wandekar is deployed at Jambhala by the Gangapur tehsil's agriculture office.

The complainant owns agricultural land, in the name of his father, at Ismailpur in Gangapur tehsil. He had cultivated custard apple in his yield. It may be noted that the government to encourage the fruit's cultivation had sanctioned grants to farmers under the horticulture scheme. Hence, the agriculture assistant through his mediator demanded a bribe of Rs 1.45 lakh from the complainant against sanctioning the grant. The complainant was unable to pay such a big amount, as a

result, he lodged a complaint with ACB. After verification, the ACB laid a trap in a hotel at Fatiyabad, on Solapur-Dhule National Highway, on Tuesday afternoon.

As per the conversation, Wandekar and Kandekar, both arrived at the hotel. As soon as mediator Kandekar took the money, on behalf of the agriculture assistant, the ACB sleuths pounced on them and caught red-handed with the money.

Under the guidance of the superintendent of police (SP) Rahul Khade and deputy SP, B V Gawade, the trap led by PI Nandkishore Kshirsagar comprised of Bala Rathod, Ashok Nagargoje, Ravindra Kale and others.