Village Officer Caught: Bribery Scandal in Thane

A female village development officer has been apprehended by the Anti-Corruption Bureau in Thane district for allegedly accepting a bribe worth Rs 30,000. The officer, Vidya Bansode, reportedly demanded the bribe to clear remaining bills of a contractor, officials reported on Tuesday.

The contractor, who worked for the Borivli Gram Panchayat, had a pending bill of Rs 54,988 after receiving partial payment for his completed project. Seeking to obtain the remaining funds, he was allegedly met with a demand for additional money from Bansode.

Following the contractor's report, the Anti-Corruption Bureau took immediate action and apprehended Bansode at the Gram Panchayat office while she was accepting the bribe. A First Information Report (FIR) has since been filed, and an investigation into the matter is currently in progress.

(With inputs from agencies.)