Thane Officials Caught Taking ₹50,000 Bribe

On Friday evening, the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) caught two officials from the Thane Collector's Office red-handed while accepting a bribe of ₹50,000. The bribe was demanded to update the address of an 'Aaple Sarkar' Seva Kendra on the official government portal.

The arrested individuals have been identified as Revenue Assistant Ganesh Balkrishna More and Peon Khalid Gulab Shaikh. According to officials, the complainant's wife had been operating an 'Aaple Sarkar' Seva Kendra at the Sona Rivet building in Mira Road East since 2017.

As the building became dilapidated, the complainant relocated the centre to Shop No. 7 in Rabia Tower, Mira Road East. To update the new address on the official portal, the complainant submitted an application to the Setu and Registration Branch at the Thane Collectorate on February 23, 2026.

However, the accused demanded a bribe of ₹50,000 to process the request and activate the portal registration. Following a complaint, the ACB conducted a formal verification in the presence of witnesses on September 10, confirming that both More and Shaikh demanded the illegal gratification and expressed readiness to accept it.

On the evening of September 11, the ACB laid a trap near the Jambhali Naka area, where both officials were apprehended while taking the bribe money. Traces of anthracene powder used during the trap operation were detected on the palms and fingers of the accused.

A case has been registered at the Thane Nagar Police Station under Section 7 of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988 (as amended), and both suspects have been taken into police custody. The operation was executed by an ACB team led by Deputy Superintendent of Police Anil Jaykar.

The 'Aaple Sarkar' Seva Kendra is a government initiative aimed at providing various services to citizens. The update of the centre's address on the official portal is crucial for citizens to access these services. The bribery case highlights the need for transparency and accountability in government offices.

The ACB's action is a step towards curbing corruption in government offices. The agency has been actively working to prevent corruption and has caught several officials accepting bribes in the past. The case is currently under investigation, and further action will be taken based on the findings.

The incident has raised concerns about the functioning of government offices and the need for stricter measures to prevent corruption. The government has been taking steps to digitize services and make them more accessible to citizens, but cases like these highlight the need for more efforts to ensure transparency and accountability.

In conclusion, the bribery case in Thane Collector's Office is a serious issue that needs to be addressed. The ACB's action is a step in the right direction, and it is essential to ensure that such incidents do not happen in the future. The government needs to take stricter measures to prevent corruption and ensure that citizens can access services without any hassle.

The case has significant implications for the functioning of government offices in Maharashtra. It highlights the need for transparency and accountability in government offices and the importance of taking strict action against corrupt officials. The government needs to take steps to prevent such incidents in the future and ensure that citizens can trust the system.

The incident is a reminder that corruption is a pervasive issue in India, and it needs to be addressed through a combination of stricter laws, better governance, and increased transparency. The government needs to take a proactive approach to prevent corruption and ensure that citizens can access services without any hassle.

In the end, the bribery case in Thane Collector's Office is a wake-up call for the government to take stricter measures to prevent corruption. It is essential to ensure that citizens can trust the system and access services without any hassle. The government needs to take a proactive approach to prevent corruption and ensure that such incidents do not happen in the future.