Thane civic body bribery case: Third accused surrenders before ACB officials

Thane, Oct 3 (PTI) An accused in the Thane Municipal Corporation bribery case surrendered in front of the Maharashtra Anti Corruption Bureau on Friday, after which a local court remanded him in police custody till October 6, an official said.

The official identified the accused as Sushant Surve.

Deputy Municipal Commissioner Shankar Patole, who was heading the TMC's Encroachment Control and Eviction Department, and a private person, Omkar Gaikar, were arrested during a raid carried out by the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) at the civic headquarters on October 1.

A real estate developer, Abhijit Kadam, who holds development rights for a plot in Vishnu Nagar in Naupada, complained to the Mumbai ACB that Patole had allegedly demanded Rs 50 lakh as bribe for removing an encroachment on his premises in the city.

The complainant claimed he had already paid a sum of Rs 10 lakh to the official through Surve on July 4.

The builder was handing over another Rs 25 lakh to Gaikar in the cabin of Patole at the TMC headquarters on Wednesday when the ACB trapped the duo and arrested them.

"Surve was on the run since the FIR was registered in the case under various sections of the Prevention of Corruption Act. He surrendered before ACB personnel during the day and was remanded in police custody till October 6 by sessions judge SS Shinde," the official said.

Patole and Gaikar were remanded in police custody till October 4 on Thursday. PTI COR BNM