This is just one of the corruption cases the ACB has detected among BMC officials. If its statistics are any indication, the civic body tops the chart of corrupt organisations in Mumbai, with as many as 30 officials caught accepting bribes in the last five years.

Though officials at all levels, including the rank of deputy municipal commissioner, have been caught indulging in corruption, statistics show corrupt practices are more prevalent among engineers,especially Class III junior engineers in the BMC's building and factory department.

The maximum number of graft cases have been registered against junior and sub-junior engineers. The bribe could be up to Rs 25,000 to protect a small structure, such as a shed outside a shop or an illegally built hut. The latest case is that of Anant Desai, a junior engineer from P-north ward, who was caught red-handed on August 2 accepting a bribe of Rs 25,000 from a grocer who had built an illegal shed. The first case of corruption this year was also against a junior engineer, Shriram Khandar, who along with a mukadam, Dinanath Jaigade, demanded a bribe of Rs 5,000 for granting a shopkeeper permission to repair his shop at Marol Naka.

In April, Pradip Mistry, a junior engineer in the building and factory department in R-north ward (Borivli) was caught by the ACB accepting Rs 4,000. Mistry had assured a contractor at Dahisar that an illegal structure built by him wouldn't be demolished if he paid up the amount.

Anothersub-engineer of R-north, Tahir Aurangabadwala, was caught accepting Rs 10,000. He had demanded the amount from a lady, and when she refused to pay, he threatened her. She complained to the ACB and got him arrested.

However, even after officials are held, the process of proving the crime takes time. The ACB sends a report to the municipal commissioner, who then grants permission to chargesheet the accused. After this, the case is argued in court, and on an average, it drags on for three to four years.

But the BMC suspends the employee if there's enough evidence against him.

Additional municipal commissioner Shreedhar Joshi informed, ``We are keen on controlling graft. Hence I have been saying that higher officials should be accessible to the public, so that people's grievances are addressed if juniors demand bribes.'' He admitted it was difficult to completely curb this menace, but added it could still be tackled to a large extent.

About the involvement of engineers in most corruption cases, he said:``They're the ones who provide civic amenities. Since they have maximum contact with people, they have more opportunities to make money.'' He suggested people should come forward and complain to ACB and senior officials in BMC about instances of corruption.

Chief officer in-charge of enquiry at the BMC said, ``The ACB does a good job of collecting evidence, and the accused employees are suspended pending enquiry.''

Of late, it has been found that even mukadams have joined the bandwagon of engineers. Two cases involving mukadams were detected this year. In one of them, Bhalchadra Pingle from G-south was arrested accepting a bribe of Rs 5,000. He demanded the money to protect a shed put up outside a shop at Annie Besant Road, Worli. In the last two years, four corporators have also been trapped by the ACB while taking bribes.

But according to ACB officials, these cases are only the tip of the iceberg.

They say the BMC's higher officials too indulge in corruption, but it's difficult to detect such casesbecause people don't come forward with complaints. ``Contractors seeking tenders pay in lakhs to BMC officials, but as no complaints are registered, we can't do anything,'' they said, adding the ACB takes action only when a complaint is filed.

(Prasanna Khapre is a reporter with The Indian Express. She covers the BMC)