From Our Correspondent

Porvorim (Goa)

In a late night development on Monday, a lady deputy sarpanch was rushed to the hospital minutes after she was caught accepting bribe from a businessman in Sucorro village. Maya Keni, deputy sarpanch of Sucorro village panchayat was caught red-handed accepting a bribe of Rs 6,000 from Mukundraj Govind Mundras to waive fine to-be imposed on him for running a Salon without trade license.

The anti corruption branch’s (ACB) raid, following a complaint lodged by Mundras was conducted in the office of the village panchayat last night where the alleged accused had called the former to give her the bribe amount. However, soon after the raid, Keni complained of uneasiness and was shifted to the Goa medical college and hospital (GMCH) where she is currently under medical observation. Her arrest will now be possible only after the doctors declare her fit for discharge.

The complainant, who had recently purchased a space in the village to start a Salon was without trade license after which the panchayat had issued him show cause notice. Mundras then replied to the notice and simultaneously applied for the trade license. The complaint to the ACB stated that despite this, Keni demanded Rs 7,000 bribe apart from official fees of Rs 11,500 for waiving the fine and granting the trade license respectively. The demanded bribe was reduced to Rs 6,000 after which Keni had called Mundras to the panchayat office to give her the money. This is when the ACB laid a trap and caught her red handed.