The Maharashtra Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) registered a case against the Chief Operating Officer (COO) of Mumbai Monorail for allegedly demanding Rs 20 lakh from the owner of a facility management company in order to sanction a bill for the services provided by the company.

According to ACB officials, the complainant’s company provides housekeeping, maintenance and customer services and had obtained a contract from January 2019 to August 2020 for which Mumbai Monorail was charged Rs 2.5 crore. An officer said, the complainant had also paid Rs 32 lakh as bank guarantee to Mumbai Monorail. So, the total amount payable to the complainant was Rs 2.82 lakh.

“After constant follow ups with the officials from Mumbai Monorail, the complainant managed to get Rs 2.1 crore in January 2021 and subsequently, Rs 22 lakh in June. And in order to release the remaining amount of Rs 50 lakh, the COO, identified as Dr DLN Murthy, demanded Rs 20 lakh from the complainant,” read a statement issued by ACB.

The complainant then approached the ACB headquarters in Worli on July 2. “We initiated an inquiry and we even tried to lay a trap, but as things did not work out, on the basis of the evidence furnished by the complainant, we then registered a case of (bribe) demand,” said ACB.

Murthy has been booked under Section 7 of Prevention of Corruption Act 1988.