Talathi caught taking Rs 2,500 bribe for issuance of income certificate

Latur, Jan 1 (PTI) The Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) on Thursday caught a talathi in Maharashtra's Latur district while accepting a bribe of Rs 2,500 in exchange of issuing an income certificate required to avail government pension schemes, officials said.

The accused talathi, a revenue department official, has been identified as Kamalakar Vitthalrao Munde (52). He was posted at Gunjarga circle in Nilanga tehsil of Latur district.

The complainant, a 38-year-old resident of Sonkhed village, had applied for an income certificate in the name of his mother. The certificate was required to avail benefits of the government's pension and other welfare schemes.

The complainant alleged that Munde initially demanded Rs 5,000 for issuing the income certificate, but later negotiated down the amount to Rs 2,500.

Based on the complaint, the ACB laid a trap on Thursday and caught Munde while he was accepting the bribe amount in the presence of witnesses at his private office. During personal search, the cash of Rs 2,500 and a mobile handset were recovered from him. PTI COR NP