PANJIM: To ensure evidence and witnesses against Sankhali Municipal Council (SMC) Chief Officer Sripad Arlekar are not tampered with, Anti-Corruption Branch (ACB) has asked the government to transfer the officer from the council.
ACB has registered an FIR against Arlekar for offering a bribe of Rs 5 lakh to a councillor to sign on a no-confidence motion against SMC Chairperson Dharmesh Saglani.
Superintendent of Police Vimal Anand Gupta (IPS) who is heading ACB said an offence has been made against Arlekar based on audio and video recordings in which it is established that he is offering the councillor a bribe.
He said there are two councillors in the video with Arlekar, who will also be probed and their role established. “We will have to establish the motive to bribe the councillor to topple the chairperson,” he said.
ACB had registered the FIR last month based on a complaint filed by SMC councillor Damodar Ghadi who is on the ruling side.
