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According to public prosecutor V Desai, the accused Shashikant Botre (50), a food inspector, attached to the Thane office of FDA, made a surprise visit on December 28, 2001, to a spice exporting unit at Mhape, owned by Taufeil Shaikh. During the visit, Botre took samples of the spices and said that the spices that the unit exported to European countries were of sub-standard quality, thereby it cheated the government. Botre then threatened to seal the entire unit and stop the export, if Shaikh would not pay Rs 25,000 to him.
Shaikh agreed to pay the amount. But he subsequently lodged a complaint with the Anti Corruption Bureau (ACB), which laid a trap at his office on December 31, 2001. Botre was caught red-handed while accepting the bribe.
The prosecution examined four witnesses including the complainant to prove their case. However, the accused denied all charges and stated that he had been falsely implicated in the case. He also said that he had gone to the office of Sheikh at Parel to meet another FDA official and not to accept the bribe. Prosecutor Desai argued that the accused had visited Sheikh’s office with clear intentions of accepting the bribe. Otherwise Botre wouldn’t have travelled all the way from Thane to Parel, he added. Special Judge S N Sardesai found Botre guilty under the Prevention of Corruption Act and sentenced him to six months imprisonment.
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