ACB team nabs two persons

Kolhapur, Aug 22 (UNI) The anti-corruption bureau (ACB) team picked up two forest department persons, including a top officer, in connection with seizure of fake documents and collection of money illegally.

The Kolhapur Deputy forest conservator V Claiment Ben was picked up from Sindhudurg district, while forest ranger (retired) Baban Bhausaheb Gaikwad was nabbed here, ACB deputy Superintendent of police Hanumant Vakade said today.

Talking to reporters here, he said Ben's official car met with an accident on May 26,2005, when he was returning back here from Mumbai. As per complaint registered with 'Lokayukta', Amarnath Shanker, in his application, said damage to the government car was about Rs 80,000, which was not on government record nor was any police complaint about the accident. He demanded to know who paid the damages bill.

The Lokayukta directed ACB to into details and submit a detailed report. Ivestigations indicated Ben had collected illegally Rs 64,394 from the then Forest ranger Gaikwad and paid it to a service centre here, which prepared bogus bills.

He said ACB had registered cases against four persons, including Ben. The driver Pandhurang Jadhav and chief clerk Raghunath Deshpande have still not been detained, he added.

UNI