Civic official booked for demanding 6% bribe from contractor

Badlapur: Thane Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) has booked the chief accounts officer of the Kulgaon-Badlapur Municipal Council for allegedly demanding a 6% bribe to clear pending road work bills and security deposits. The accused, Vikas Chavan, was booked following a complaint by a contractor.According to officials, the complainant's firm secured tenders for 77 development works in the municipal council area, with projects currently underway. Of these, payments of Rs 17.44 lakh for two work bills and Rs 4.99 lakh towards a security deposit from earlier work — totalling Rs 22.43 lakh — were credited to the contractor's account. The complainant alleged that Chavan demanded 6% of the amount, Rs 1.34 lakh, as illegal gratification for releasing the payments.The contractor submitted a written complaint to the Anti-Corruption Bureau, Mumbai, on Dec 9, 2025. A verification conducted on Dec 10 confirmed the demand for commission as graft for clearing dues.Based on the findings, a case was registered against Chavan on April 30 under the Prevention of Corruption Act at Badlapur East police station.Repeated attempts to contact Chavan for comment went unanswered as his phone remained switched off.Kulgaon-Badlapur Municipal Council chief officer Maruti Gaikwad confirmed the development and said Chavan was relieved from duty about a month ago. He added that the matter would be communicated to the officer's parent department.Notably, allegations surfaced a few months ago that contractors were being asked to pay a percentage to secure bill clearances. At the time, an internal inquiry was initiated but later subsided. With the registration of the present offence and details emerging from the probe, discussions have resurfaced within civic circles, with many seeing it as a confirmation of the alleged "percentage system" in the council.
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