Quick Summary: Shankar Balwant Malvankar, a clerk at Ulhasnagar Municipal Corporation, was caught accepting a bribe and sentenced to two years in prison. Here's the full story of how it all unfolded.
Shankar Balwant Malvankar, working as a clerk at the Ulhasnagar Municipal Corporation, was accused of asking for a bribe. On June 26, 2001, he supposedly asked a building contractor for ₹20,000 to ignore some illegal construction. After some negotiation, the amount was reduced to ₹12,000, with ₹5,000 paid right away and the rest to be paid later.
On July 2, 2001, the contractor went to the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) in Worli, which sent him to ACB Thane. A plan was made to catch Shankar Malvankar in the act. The next day, ₹7,000 in marked notes, covered with a special powder that glows under certain light, were prepared for the trap.
Shankar Malvankar came to the contractor's office on July 3, 2001, as planned. After a short conversation, he took the marked money. As soon as he put the cash in his pocket, the contractor signaled the ACB team. Shankar Malvankar tried to escape, throwing the money over a wall, but was quickly caught.
Under ultraviolet light, Shankar Malvankar's hands, shirt pocket, and hair glowed, proving he touched the marked money. The serial numbers on the notes matched those recorded earlier, confirming the case against him.
Shankar Malvankar said he was innocent, claiming the contractor forced the money into his pocket and that he was set up. However, the court found the evidence against him convincing.
Judge M.M. Sathaye was in charge of the case, and found Shankar Malvankar guilty under the laws against corruption. He was sentenced to two years in prison and fined ₹2,000. The court rejected his appeal, confirming he was guilty.
The court found Shankar Malvankar guilty of accepting a bribe and sentenced him to two years in prison, along with a fine. The evidence clearly showed his involvement in the bribery, leading to his conviction.
