While police and administration were blamed for the collapse of an under-construction building in Thane, 36 policemen including a senior police inspector have been suspended in Mumbai following a sting operation exposed on a private news channel on Thursday. The strong action was taken after an activist caught them on camera for allegedly accepting bribes to construct an illegal structure in Chembur area.
The Maharashtra government has handed over the probe to Anti-corruption wing. This is the first time that action has been taken against so many policemen in the state. The sting exposed the nexus between the police and builders social activist, who exposed the nexus between the police and builders, who were carrying out the unauthorised construction in the city.
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The social activist had conducted a sting operation which showed 95 policemen of various ranks asked him for bribe for themselves & their seniors so that he could be allowed to construct the nine-foot structure without requisite documents.
He alleged that many officers, their agents and even BMC officials are involved in this act. He handed over the footage to the Lokayukta of Maharashtra filing a complaint with the office of Mumbai Police Commissioner Satyapal Singh.
The sting operation comes a week after an illegal building collapsed in Thane killing 74 people.