An additional collector in Akola district of Maharashtra has been booked for allegedly extorting money from a stone crusher owner and threatening other businessmen, a police official said on Wednesday, reported the PTI.
The additional collector, Pramod Rahul Gaikwad, has denied all allegations.
FIR registered
An FIR was registered against Gaikwad at the MIDC police station on Monday.
The case has been filed under provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) as well as the Prevention of Corruption Act, as per the PTI.
The officials said that an investigation was underway.
Allegations by stone crusher association
The complaint was lodged by the working president of a stone crushers’ association.
According to the complaint, Gaikwad allegedly demanded Rs 15,000 per month from the complainant. He also allegedly sought Rs 5,000 each from other association members, the PTI reported.
The complainant further claimed that Rs 15,000 was paid to the official.
Officials said that he is accused of threatening action against businesses if payments were not made, the news agency reported.
Complaints
The Akola District Mining and Crusher Entrepreneurs` Association had previously raised similar concerns against the official, prompting further scrutiny.
Following the allegations, the state government has reportedly placed Gaikwad on compulsory leave.
However, the officer has strongly denied the charges, calling the allegations baseless, the news agency reported.
Beed remand home superintendent caught taking bribe
Meanwhile, in an another incident, a superintendent of a government-run remand home in Maharashtra’s Beed district was allegedly caught taking a Rs 30,000 bribe from a private security guard to facilitate official work, the ACB said on Tuesday.
The ACB’s Jalna unit caught Kapil Bhimrao Kamble (43), a junior security officer and superintendent of the remand home, while accepting the bribe in the Palwan Chowk area on Monday evening, an official said, the PTI reported.
The action was taken based on a complaint filed by a security guard, who alleged that after joining duty at the remand home, the accused demanded Rs 45,000 to facilitate official work, including forwarding attendance reports to the company and assisting in the issuance of his employment order.
The accused official has been taken into custody, and a case has been registered under the Prevention of Corruption Act, the official added.
(with PTI inputs)