Govt officer caught taking bribe from son to sign on his poor report card

Mumbai:

A Maharashtra Electricity Board Officer was today arrested by the Corruption Prevention Bureau (CPB) for allegedly accepting a bribe here on Tuesday. Junior Assessment Engineer H. S. Waghmare was allegedly accepting the bribe of Rs. 500 from his Son to sign on his school’s annual report card.

The CPB Assistant Director Mr. A. S. Pasriwal told the reporters that they had received a complaint from the Principal of the school where the Officer’s Son studies had complained to them few months back. The accused Officer had allegedly demanded money from his Son during his mid-term exam results when he did not score good grades.

The Prinicipal Dr. Mrs. Reeta Gupta said, “We had called Mr. Waghmare a couple of times to our school to discuss his Son’s low grades. Although he was worried about the same but he didn’t turn up at all. Then I got suspicious when Mr. Waghmare signed on his Son’s report card without writing anything in the comments column which we encourage the parents to do. Then I called his Son to me, took him into confidence and ask him about it. I was aghast when I came to know about the truth and I immediately called CPB Office.”

“So our investigators laid a trap after receiving the complaint about the Officer”, Pasriwal said. Waghmare was caught red handed by the CPB police inspector H. H. Patil at his Andheri residence. The CPB have recorded the statements of Waghmare, his Son and the Principal along with audio-video evidence that they have collected.

Our NTMN team interrogated the colleagues of the Officer and came to know that Mr. Waghmare had a proven past record of bribery against him. He used to taken bribe from the disgruntled MEB consumers to settle their cases involving high bills. On talking to the neighbours, our team found out that he wanted his son to be a Government Officer himself and that he often turned violent on him to get better grades.

Pasriwal said this is the seventh such case in last three months in India and second in Maharashtra. Three months ago, a Constable from Mumbai Road Traffic Office was arrested for similar charges.

Senior Research Psychologist, Mr. Shivram Dubey, who counsels Government Officers on a regular basis, said that it is a bad and disturbing trend that is starting amongst the Officers.

He further said that it is highly disturbing to see the habit of Government Officers percolating in their personal life as well. He said he will work diligently with the Officers to counsel them to get rid of this habit from their personal life.

Waghmare has been booked under Prevention of Corruption Act and will be produced before District and Sessions court in Kurla on Friday.

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