An operation by the Anti-Corruption Bureau in Mumbai led to the arrest of two Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation officials for allegedly demanding and accepting a bribe from a local business owner. The arrested individuals include a 43-year-old junior engineer, Nirav Kumar Chunilal Jaisur, and a 46-year-old civic worker, Vijay Ramesh Patil. Both officials were stationed at the K/West ward office of the civic body located in Andheri West. The law enforcement agency launched a sting operation following a formal complaint filed by a 50-year-old bakery proprietor who was targeted for extortion under the pretext of allowing his establishment to function smoothly without administrative interference.
Extortion Demand and Negotiation Details
The sequence of events began when Vijay Ramesh Patil approached the 50-year-old bakery owner operating in the Andheri West area. Patil demanded a bribe of 70,000 rupees on behalf of himself and junior engineer Nirav Kumar Chunilal Jaisur. In exchange for this payment, the civic employees promised that the municipality would refrain from taking any punitive or administrative action against the bakery, allowing the business to run uninterrupted. Unwilling to yield to the extortion demand, the bakery owner decided to seek legal intervention and approached the Anti-Corruption Bureau's Mumbai unit on Wednesday to register an official complaint against the duo.
Verification of Complaint and ACB Trap Execution
Following the complaint, officers from the Anti-Corruption Bureau initiated a verification process to validate the allegations. During the initial inquiry, Patil reasserted the demand for 70,000 rupees and arranged a meeting between the complainant and senior officer Nirav Kumar Chunilal Jaisur. Discussions between the bakery owner and Jaisur led to a reduction in the demanded amount, with Jaisur agreeing to lower the bribe to 60,000 rupees. Once the amount was finalized, ACB sleuths set up a meticulous trap at the K/West ward office in Andheri West. When Patil accepted the negotiated sum of 60,000 rupees in cash from the complainant, ACB officials moved in and caught him red-handed. Jaisur was subsequently taken into custody as part of the joint operation.
Recovery of Unaccounted Cash and Seizure of Evidence
A thorough search conducted by law enforcement officers following the arrest yielded a significant amount of unaccounted currency. Investigators found 40,820 rupees in cash on Patil's person during the immediate physical search. A subsequent inspection of his bag revealed an additional sum of 2,37,600 rupees, bringing the total cash recovered from the civic worker to over 2.78 lakh rupees (specifically 2,78,420 rupees). In addition to the physical currency, ACB officials seized three mobile phones as crucial digital evidence, including two devices belonging to junior engineer Nirav Kumar Chunilal Jaisur and one device belonging to Vijay Ramesh Patil. Authorities have registered a case under relevant sections of the Prevention of Corruption Act, and detailed investigations remain ongoing to probe further into the extortion scheme.
