Probe done, evidence in: Maharashtra government silent on prosecution sanction in Mantralaya bribe case

The Maharashtra government has yet to respond to the Anti-Corruption Bureau's (ACB) request for a prosecution sanction in the Mantralaya bribe case, despite the agency having submitted the proposal more than a month ago. The February 13 raid inside the state secretariat's Mantralaya building, where Food and Drug Administration (FDA) minister Narhari Zirwal's office is located, triggered political controversy.

The ACB arrested FDA clerk Rajendra Dherange for allegedly accepting a Rs 35,000 bribe, which was reduced from Rs 50,000. The ACB has sufficient evidence against Dherange but has not yet received a response from the Maharashtra government regarding the prosecution sanction. Section 19 of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988 mandates the government's prior approval for courts to take cognizance of offenses against public servants without a prior sanction.

The ACB had initially expanded the probe to other department officials, but no evidence was found against them. The agency recovered Rs 42,000 in addition to the bribe amount from Dherange during the raid.