Mateen Hafeez & S Ahmed Ali TNN
Mumbai: The anti-corruption bureau on Wednesday night arrested Arthur Road jail superintendent Vasudev Burkule and his deputy, Pradip Pathrikar, for demanding and accepting a bribe of Rs 40,000 for clearing a candidate in an examination for jailors.
The police recovered Rs 40 lakh and
gold ornaments from Barkule’s jail residence in Byculla, and found he
had savings accounts and bank fixed deposits amounting to more than Rs 1
crore.
Cases of corruption within the state’s most sensitive jail have
been reported earlier, but this is the first time the superintendent of
the prison, where Pakistani terrorist Ajmal Kasab was kept, has been
found to be involved in a bribery case.
The complainant, a jail
officer, had appeared for an examination for the post of jailor on March
25. The exam papers came to Burkule for assessment. The complainant
approached Pathrikar for help to clear the exams. When the matter
reached Burkule, he said the complainant’s performance in the exam was
“weak” and demanded Rs 40,000 to clear him.
ACB listened in on phone call with prison chief
The superintendent of Arthur Road Jail, Vasudev Burkule, and his deputy, Pradip Pathrikar, have been arrested in a case of bribery.
“The complainant (a jail officer) came to us at 11.30am on Wednesday and narrated his story. We went through his application and then set a trap,” said Vishwas Nangre-Patil, additional commissioner of police, Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB). Three police inspectors and 16 constables led by an assistant commissioner reached the jail at 7pm. The complainant went to Pathrikar’s residence, adjacent to the jail, and before handing him over the money, called up Burkule at 7.17pm. He spoke to him till 7.47pm, and later again for two minutes. The conversations included a demand for a bribe.
The ACB team entered the house soon after Pathrikar accepted the bribe on behalf of Burkule, and placed him under arrest. The team then headed to the jail, where Burkule stays in the barracks.
When the team knocked on his door and told him they were from the ACB, he tried to be aggressive.
“Burkule surrendered after hearing that Pathrikar had already been arrested. We found Rs 70,000 in his pocket. The two sales tax officers, who acted as independent panchas, displayed their IDs too,” said additional CP, ACB, Vishwas Nangre-Patil.
The police team used wristwatch, pen and keychain cameras in the top-secret operation. Burkule and Pathrikar, who have been suspended, have been remanded in police custody till April 19.
JAILHOUSE ROCKED BY GRAFT
TOP SECRET OPERATION The
anti-corruption bureau (ACB) on Wednesday night arrested Arthur Road
jail superintendent Vasudev Burkule and his deputy, Pradip Pathrikar,
for demanding and accepting a bribe of 40,000 for clearing a candidate
in an exam for jailors
ACTION TAKEN The two have been suspended, and have been remanded to police custody till April 19
WHAT WAS RECOVERED A
search of Arthur Road jail superintendent Vasudev Burkule resulted in
the recovery of 40 lakh, a State Bank of India (Nanded) fixed deposit
(FD) of 12.50 lakh, Bank of Maharashtra (Nanded) FD of 5 lakh, 5 lakh in
a savings account, 75 tolas gold in a locker, and SBI (Agripada) 20
lakh in a savings account. Nothing incriminating was found at the
residence of his deputy, Pradip Pathrikar
THE ROT INSIDE
Other sources of income in jail
Regular flow of money from inmates and relatives for facilities
Home food, cigarettes and cell phones regularly supplied inside
Two jail officials were suspended for negligence following attack on gangster Abu Salem inside Taloja jail
Other sources of income in jail
Regular flow of money from inmates and relatives for facilities
Home food, cigarettes and cell phones regularly supplied inside
Two jail officials were suspended for negligence following attack on gangster Abu Salem inside Taloja jail
WHO STAYED THERE Gangsters Dawood Ibrahim, Chhota Rajan and Arun Gawli, all 1993 serial bomb blast accused, Pakistani terrorist Ajmal Kasab and Indian Mujaheedin members
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