Thane, 27 April

The Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) in Navi Mumbai has arrested two engineers of the Maharashtra State Electricity Distribution Company Limited (MSEDCL) for allegedly taking a bribe of Rs 1.84 lakh from a contractor, an official said on Sunday.

Based on a complaint, the ACB laid a trap on Friday and caught Sandeep Daware (45), deputy executive engineer, MSEDCL, Binghari division, Panvel, and Pratamesh Chowgle (35), a junior engineer, while accepting the bribe amount, the official said.

He said the complainant had undertaken maintenance work for the MSEDCL and received payment. However, two accused officials allegedly demanded a bribe, insisting on a "commission" for processing the payment and conducting a site visit.

The duo allegedly demanded Rs 92,000 each from the contractor, totalling Rs 1.84 lakh, the official said.

He said the accused officials have been booked under relevant sections of the Prevention of Corruption Act, and a probe is underway to to determine if more officials were involved in the case.