BEST Official Booked By ACB For Demanding Bribe From Cafe Owner Over Pending Electricity Bill
· Free Press Journal
Mumbai: A public servant employed with the Brihanmumbai Electric Supply and Transport (BEST) undertaking has been booked by the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB), Mumbai, for allegedly demanding a bribe from a local food cafe operator.
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Outstanding Bill Used as Leverage
According to the ACB, the complainant runs a food cafe in the city. The cafe premises had an outstanding electricity bill of Rs 45,280, which had been pending for three months. Capitalizing on this non-payment, the accused public servant, identified as Nitin Kawale, who works in the electrical department of the BEST, approached the cafe owner.
Kawale allegedly threatened to disconnect and confiscate the electricity meter issued to the complainant's establishment due to the unpaid dues. He then demanded a bribe of Rs 3,000 from the complainant to clear the matter and refrain from removing the meter. Unwilling to pay the bribe, the cafe owner approached the ACB Mumbai office on December 24, 2025, and lodged a formal complaint against the BEST employee.
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Acting on the complaint, the ACB team initiated a verification process. On December 26, 2025, officials conducted a verification process to confirm the allegations. During this operation, it was established that Kawale negotiated the illegal gratification amount down to Rs 2,500. He explicitly demanded the settled bribe amount of Rs 2,500 and agreed to accept it in exchange for not removing the cafe's electricity meter, the ACB said in a statement issued on Sunday.
'The case was kept pending so that the money could be accepted. However, since the accused public servant is no longer calling the complainant and there is no likelihood of the money being accepted, a case for demanding a bribe has been registered on May 22 under the relevant section of the Prevention of Corruption Act. Further investigation into the case is currently underway," said an ACB official.
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