Maharashtra: 191 Corruption Cases Registered In 2024 So Far; 132 Govt Officials Yet To Be Suspended

As per the statistics provided by the Maharashtra Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB), in the first quarter of 2024, 191 corruption cases have been reported. The data also revealed that 132 officials are facing corruption charges and are yet to be suspended from their jobs.

About 186 trap cases, four disproportionate asset cases, and one other case related to corruption were registered. The majority of trap cases in the first quarter of this year included employees from the Revenue and Land Records department, followed by the police and the Maharashtra State Electricity Distribution Co. Ltd. (MSEDCL), according to statistics published by the Maharashtra Anti-Corruption Bureau.

Number Of Officials Facing Corruption Charges In Each Department:

In-depth analysis of the data showed that Class III government officials (134) are the most frequently involved in trap instances, followed by Class II officials (25), Class IV officials (15), and Class I officials (14).

The data showed that 186 trap cases involved a total of INR 64.71 lakh in corruption payments.

Department Wise Corruption Payments:

The state ACB filed four cases involving disproportionate assets against dishonest public officials and private individuals between January and March 2024. These complaints were filed against representatives of Zilla Parishad, the Education Department, and the Revenue and Land Records Department.

The total amount of currency involved in these four cases is INR 6.10 crore, of which INR 2.22 crore was related to officials of the Revenue and Land Records department. A bribe amount of INR 23.57 lakh was recorded from the Education Department and INR 10.20 from the Zilla Parishad. The remaining amount was collected from other government departments. 

Taking a zone-wise look, the ACB data revealed that most corrupt officials that are yet to face suspension were from Mumbai.

Zone-Wise Corrupt Officials:

Based on the ACB's data, 18 government departments employ 132 government officials who have not yet had their suspensions revoked by their departments. The figures showed that of these 132 officials, 19 are Class I, 29 are Class II, and 78 are Class III authorities.

Department Wise Data Of Officials Who Are Yet To Face Suspension:

An agency official stated that when an official is booked in a corruption case, the ACB notifies the relevant department of the official's booking as well as the FIR information of the case. The department is then responsible for taking the appropriate measures.