MUMBAI: The Nashik police range has seen the most number of public servants being caught red-handed accepting bribes in two years since 2009, according to data from the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB). Anti-corruption crusader Anna Hazare hails from Ralegan Siddhi, which falls in Ahmednagar distict, which is part of the Nashik range.
Going by the police data, anti-corruption officials have been kept on their toes in Nashik range. In 2010, 25% of Maharashtra's cases in which public servants were caught taking bribes red-handed were in the Nashik range. The percentage rose from 19.4% in 2009. In 2010, 124 ACB traps were successful in the Nashik range, while in 2009 the figure was 78.
The Pune range was a distant second in 2010, with only 68, or 14%, of the overall 486 cases in which public servants were caught accepting bribes. Aside from Nashik, only three other police ranges saw the percentage of bribe taking increase from 2009 to 2010.
Ahmednagar district in particular saw 35 successful sting operations in 2010 as against 27 the previous year.
This was a significant rise from only 15 five years earlier. The bribes in the Nashik range were for amounts ranging from Rs 500 to a few lakh rupees. Those caught included six deputy collectors, two civil surgeons and almost two dozen high-ranking Class I officers.
Observers said the stronger anti-corruption drive in Nashik began in mid-2009 when deputy commissioner of police Harish Baijal took over as ACB chief. From June to December 2009 he conducted 50 operations, almost twice the number of traps conducted till June that year. The same year he saw to it that of the 98 accused, 93 were suspended despite strong opposition from the officers' departments.
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