12 Years of Govt. Service, Dy Collector worth 118 Crore

Bangalore: The Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) on Wednesday claimed to have unearthed assets worth over Rs 118 crore allegedly belonging to a Deputy Collector posted in Raigad district of Maharashtra, adjacent to Mumbai.

The raids, which began late last night, were carried out simultaneously at 26 different premises belonging to Nitish Janardhan Thakur and continued all through the day, ACB officials said in a release.

He and his family mainly own properties at Alibag, Belcade, Kolgaon, Gotheghar, Chikhali, (all villages in Alibag tehsil), Kandivali, Borivali, Gorai, Vile Parle, Andheri and Ghatkopar (all Mumbai suburbs), and Murud, valued collectively at 118.39 crore, ACB said. A senior ACB official said he also owns a Land Rover, Mercedes and Honda CRV.

The other objects that were recovered include three watches worth Rs 20 lakh, two diamond bracelets worth Rs 6 lakh, three music systems worth Rs 7 lakhs, an imported 74-inch LED TV worth Rs 22 lakh, six crystal busts worth Rs 18 lakh, 11 pairs of imported shoes worth Rs 35,000 each, a jacuzzi worth Rs 9 lakh, and 100 tolas of gold.

Thakur, his wife Meenal, mother Chhaya, and brother Nilesh have been arrested and offences have been registered under Prevention of Corruption Act as well as IPC at the Alibag police station.

He has not been produced before the court yet. The 36-year-old official was posted as Deputy Collector from 1988-2010, and was suspended following charges of corruption two years ago, the release added.

Nitesh in 2008 went on a sick leave without intimating his superiors and allegedly started "settling realty disputes". Nonetheless, Nitesh filed a writ petition in the HC alleging that ACB officials were harassing him. He claimed that in 2000, one Ramesh Gharat, on account of a row concerning distribution of ancestral property, filed a complaint with the ACB.

(With inputs from PTI)