Acquitted: Lack of Evidence Clears Officer in Corruption Case

A special court in the city has acquitted Sanjay Sawardekar, a retired assistant rationing officer, in a corruption case dating back to 2015. The prosecution's inability to provide substantial evidence led to the decision.

In June 2015, Hitesh Ganatra accused Sawardekar of demanding a bribe to transfer a ration shop license to his son's name. Initially quoted at Rs 1 lakh, the bribe was reduced to Rs 80,000, urging the complainant to place the money in his office drawer.

The Anti-Corruption Bureau caught the officer with the alleged bribe, but the court found several evidence gaps, including the absence of testimony from a prime witness and failure to conduct critical forensic tests, ultimately leading to Sawardekar's acquittal.