Bribery Case: Thane Court Acquits Cooperative Dept Official

Thane district court in Maharashtra has acquitted an official from the cooperative department who was accused of soliciting and accepting a bribe of Rs 10,000.

Special Judge Amit M Shete ruled that the prosecution had failed to establish the charges against the accused, Hauserao Ramchandra Gawade, and therefore acquitted him.

Special Public Prosecutor Sanjay B. More informed the court that the complainant, employed at a travel agency and residing in a housing society in Mira Road, had gone abroad for higher studies. Upon her return in 2009, she discovered that her flat had been sealed. Upon inquiry, it was revealed that recovery proceedings had been initiated against her for outstanding maintenance dues.

The complainant approached Gawade, who served as the special recovery officer. He allegedly informed her that she owed Rs 56,695 in arrears, along with a 12 percent interest rate and some additional charges. According to the prosecution, the recovery officer also demanded Rs 10,000 to unseal the flat.

Refusing to pay the bribe, the complainant approached the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB), which subsequently verified the bribe demand and allegedly caught the officer in the act of accepting the bribe. However, the court determined that the evidence presented did not sufficiently establish the demand for a bribe and therefore gave the accused the benefit of the doubt.