Special CBI court in Thane acquits RPF cop accused in graft case

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A special Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) court in Maharashtra's Thane district acquitted a Railway Protection Force (RPF) constable booked in a 2007 graft case, citing insufficient evidence against him, reported the PTI.

According to the PTI, the special CBI judge Amit M Shete, in his order, said the prosecution had failed to prove the charges against Santosh Gulabrao Lambate (53), who needed to be given the benefit of the doubt.

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The case against another accused, Ram Adhar Yadav, was abated as he passed away during the trial.

A copy of the order, dated August 3, was made available on Tuesday.

The special public prosecutor informed the court that in July 2007, the Bhayandar RPF had registered a case against a scrap dealer for allegedly stealing materials belonging to the Railways and selling them.

Lambate approached the scrap dealer, informing him of a warrant issued by the Railway court. He took him to the railway police station and demanded Rs 10,000 to resolve the issue.

He eventually settled for Rs 5,500, following which the scrap dealer approached the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB), the prosecutor said.

The court noted the complainant's unusual determination to approach the CBI against the RPF constable despite having a history of illegal activities himself.

The court also found it significant that the complainant chose to approach the accused rather than seeking to have the warrant cancelled, indicating a deliberate intent to prosecute RPF personnel.

Judge Shete concluded that given the peculiar facts of the case and the presence of two possible views, the view favouring the accused had to be accepted. He also noted that the authorities relied upon by the prosecution were not particularly helpful due to dissimilar facts and points of consideration.

Two employees of Mira Bhayandar Municipal Corporation held for accepting Rs 4,000 bribe

Meanwhile in an another incident, an official on Saturday said that a medical officer and another employee of the Mira Bhayandar Municipal Corporation were arrested by the Anti-Corruption Bureau for allegedly accepting a bribe of Rs 4,000 for granting permission to set up a pathological laboratory, reported news agency PTI.

The duo, identified as Multipurpose Health Worker (MHO) Nilesh Rathod and Dr Birappa Tipanna Dudhbhate working with the Mira Bhayandar Municipal Corporation health department, were booked under the Prevention of Corruption Act, reported PTI.

Rathod had allegedly demanded a bribe of Rs 5,000 from the complainant but settled for Rs 4,000, the ACB official said, reported PTI.

After receiving the complaint, the ACB on Friday nabbed Rathod and Dudhbhate, he added. Further investigation is underway.

(with PTI inputs)