Representative image for an arrest.
Credit: iStock Photo
Mumbai: The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has arrested two employees of the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) for demanding and accepting a bribe of Rs 20,000 to release a drone camera which was seized around six months ago for shooting aerial images of the Trimbakeshwar temple, one of the Jyotirlingas located in the Nashik district.
The two accused were identified as Deepak Chaudhari, Conservation Assistant, ASI and Prakash Kaklij, a contractual employee working as MTS, ASI’s Pandavleni office at Nashik.
According to the CBI, the drone camera of the complainant, working as a graphic designer in a Nashik-based private company, was seized by ASI in September, 2024 when the complainant was shooting at Trimbakeshwar temple for making an advertisement for his company.
The drone was seized by temple authorities and handed over to officials of ASI.
It is alleged that when the complainant went to get his drone back, the Conservation Assistant in ASI Pandavleni office demanded a bribe of Rs 50,000 from the complainant for releasing the said drone.
The accused even threatened the complainant that if he did not pay the bribe, he would deposit the drone to ASI's Aurangabad office.
“After negotiations, the accused agreed to accept a bribe of Rs 20,000 from the complainant through a contractual employee as MTS. The CBI laid a trap and caught accused MTS red-handed while demanding and accepting a bribe of Rs 20,000 from the complainant on behalf of the accused Conservation Assistant,” CBI officials said, adding that they were remanded to two-day custody of the CBI.
During the search at the residential premises of the accused, incriminating documents were seized.