Nagpur.
In a major operation, the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB), Nagpur Range, nabbed a Branch Engineer of Public Works Department in Wardha District for demanding bribe of Rs 4,00,000. The Branch Engineer sought Rs 2 lakh for himself and Rs 2 lakh for his seniors. The bribe was demanded from a contractor for clearing road construction bill.
The complainant contractor had carried out road construction from Borkhedi (Kala) to Salai coming under Selu Sub-Division of PWD. After completion of the w2ork, the contractor submitted the bill to Pramod Wamanrao Rajurkar (53), Branch Engineer, Selu Sub-Division of PWD, District Wardha, for sending it to senior officials for approval. However, to the astonishment of the contractor, the Branch Engineer Rajurkar demanded a total of Rs 4 lakh as bribe – Rs 2 lakh for himself and Rs 2 lakh for senior officials – for doing the work. On earlier occasion also, the accused Branch Engineer had taken Rs 1,05,000 and an Apple Company’s iSix mobile handset worth Rs 52,000 from the contractor for same work. But this time the contractor had different plan and approached the ACB, Wardha Unit.
The ACB sleuths, acting on the complaint, laid a trap and waited in ambush. During the trap, the Branch Engineer Rajurkar demanded Rs 4 lakh from the contractor in front of the witnesses under cover. As soon as Rajurkar demanded the bribe amount, the undercover witnesses signaled the ACB sleuths who pounced on him.
Later, an offence under relevant sections of Prevention of Corruption Act 1988 was registered against the Branch Engineer Pramod Rajurkar and further investigations were launched.
