Mumbai (The Hindu): Raid throws up 24 bank accounts, jewellery, several properties, SUVs, lakhs in cash, and electronics and furniture worth Rs 50 lakh

Anti-Corruption Bureau officers searching the house of suspended Mira Bhayander Municipal Corporation (MBMC) ward officer found gold and silver jewellery worth lakhs of rupees, multiple properties, SUVs, 24 bank accounts, Rs 7 lakh in cash, and expensive electronics and furniture worth approximately Rs 50 lakh.

Dilip Jagdale (52), arrested on Tuesday for graft, was in charge of the Ward 6 of the MBMC and was suspended last week for failure to take action against illegal encroachments.

He had allegedly demanded Rs 1 lakh from a vada-pav stall owner in Mira Road in exchange for not taking action against his stall. After his suspension, he allegedly started contacting the people who he had demanded money from, pressuring them to pay up before news of his suspension spread.

The stall owner, however, approached the ACB, and Jagdale was arrested on Tuesday while accepting Rs 25,000 from him at a hotel on Mira Road.

Following his arrest, the Thane unit of the ACB, as per procedure, conducted a search of his Mira Road residence to look for more evidence.

“The search began Tuesday afternoon soon after Jagdale’s arrest, and we only completed it at 3 pm on Wednesday.

The house was filled with expensive electronics and furniture, and we also found gold and silver jewellery and documents pertaining to real estate and bank accounts,” an ACB officer said.

Officials said the assets found at Jagdale’s residence include gold jewellery worth Rs 36.61 lakh, silver jewellery worth Rs 24,000, Rs 7.06 lakh in cash and furniture and electronics worth over Rs 48.70 lakhs, two cars – a Chevrolet Tavera and a Toyota Innova, and a motorcycle.

“We have also seized documents indicating ownership of three commercial spaces and a flat in Mira Road in Jagdale’s name, 42 gunthas of agricultural land in his native Dhule in his wife’s name, 24 bank accounts in his wife’s and two sons’ names, a bank locker which will be opened and examined soon and several fixed deposit accounts in Jagdale’s name.

"We have not yet calculated the total value of his assets as we will have to take into account the value of the real estate at the time of its purchase and other such factors,” another officer said.

The Thane unit will send the “assets report” to the Director General of Police, ACB, along with a request for sanction to begin a disproportionate assets inquiry against Jagdale. His current monthly salary is less than Rs 50,000, and this will be mentioned in the report to highlight the disparity between his income and his assets, said officials.

His current monthly salary is less than Rs 50,000, and this will be mentioned in the ACB report

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