Thane Anti Corruption Bureau has arrested deputy sales tax commissioner Ramesh Jaid, 50, and his aid Archie's Visariya, 25, for accepting bribe of Rs 5 lakh as first installment out of Rs 20 lakh demand from a builder in Dombivli. The ACB officials said that Jaid had demanded bribe of Rs 50 lakh from complainant Deepak Mejari which later came down to Rs 20 lakh.
Mejari is a famous builder from the Dombivli and also president of Dombivli Gymkhana. Recently Jaid who is posted in Kalyan sales tax office issued notice to Mejari asking him to pay due sales tax money but had not mentioned about the amount.
Following the notice, Mejari met Jaid replying that he is ready to pay his pending sales tax of Rs 1.5 lakh but Jaid shocked him by claiming that he had due money of Rs 98 lakh.
Sources said that when Mejari denied about paying money claiming he do not have such huge money pending Jaid asked him that he will have to pay Rs 50 lakh otherwise he will book him in the case and complainant will have to live in jail for at least 15 years.
Scared with threat Mejari decided to approach Thane ACB and negotiated amount with Jaid and came down to bribe amount of Rs 20 lakh. On Wednesday afternoon, the Navi Mumbai unit of Thane ACB led trap and nabbed Jaid and Visariya red handed while accepting bribe of Rs 5 lakh from Dombivi Gymkhana. The Thane ACB is now searching at Jaid's residence and offices to find out his property.
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