Thane ACB Busts Bribery Scheme: Senior ESIC Official and Associate Apprehended

Thane, 7th April 2024: In a recent development in Thane, a senior official from the state employees’ insurance corporation and his associate were apprehended by the Thane Anti-corruption Bureau (ACB) on Friday. They stand accused of soliciting a bribe from a businessman in exchange for refraining from taking action against him after the businessman received a notice for breaching norms, officials revealed.

According to a statement issued by the ACB, the businessman had previously operated a car washing centre but ceased its operations, failing to fulfil mandatory insurance obligations for his employees under the ESIC.

The ESIC department identified this irregularity and issued a notice to the businessman, imposing a penalty of Rs 7.6 lakhs. Subsequently, a junior officer from the ESIC allegedly approached the businessman, offering to mitigate the impact of the notice and negotiate the penalty amount down to Rs 2 lakhs. Eventually, an agreement was reached to settle the matter for a bribe of Rs 1 lakh. Sensing foul play, the businessman promptly informed the anti-corruption team, which devised a plan to ensnare the corrupt officials.

As part of the operation, the businessman was instructed to offer the first instalment of Rs 50,000 to the junior officer, who then contacted his senior. The senior officer reportedly demanded an increased bribe amount of Rs 2 lakhs. Seizing the opportunity, the ACB team intervened and swiftly apprehended the accused officials.

Following a thorough investigation and confirmation of their involvement, a case was registered with the Kopri police under relevant sections of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988, leading to the arrest of the accused individuals.