Palghar cop booked over Rs 50,000 bribe demand; in Sindhudurg, ACB nabs industry inspector
Thane (PTI): A cop from Maharashtra’s Palghar district was booked for allegedly demanding Rs 50,000 from a citizen, while an official was held in Sindhudurg while accepting a bribe of Rs 22,000, ACB said on Friday.
The accused cop, identified as assistant police inspector Sahebrao Shivaji Kachre, was posted at Gholwad police station in the district, the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) said in a release.
A person filed a complaint with the ACB on December 9, alleging that Kachre promised not to arrest his brother-in-law, who was an accused in a case, if he greased his palm.
“Kachre has been booked under the Prevention of Corruption Act after it was established that he demanded a bribe of Rs 50,000 to refrain from arresting the complainant’s relative and to remove his name from a case file,” said the ACB release.
The policeman will be arrested if needed, it said.
Meanwhile, the ACB’s Sindhudurg unit arrested an industry inspector while accepting a bribe of Rs 22,000 on Wednesday, officials said.
Accused Pankaj Vitthal Shelke from the District Industries Centre in Oros had demanded the money to approve a proposal for a government subsidy concerning the purchase of a truck.
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Ikkis box office Day 1: Agastya Nanda’s war drama earns ₹7 crore, beats trade projections
Mumbai: Ikkis, the latest war drama directed by Sriram Raghavan, has delivered a stronger-than-expected opening at the box office, earning an estimated ₹7 crore net in India on its first day, Hindustan Times reported on Friday.
The film, starring Agastya Nanda, opened in theatres on January 1 across nearly 4,000 screens nationwide. Trade analysts had earlier projected a modest opening of ₹2–2.5 crore, especially given stiff competition from Dhurandhar, which continues to perform strongly at the box office.
Despite these expectations, Ikkis exceeded projections by nearly three times, helped largely by positive word of mouth. As per the report, the film had around 12% occupancy in the morning shows across the country, which jumped to 35% by afternoon, and 47% in the evening, indicating growing audience interest as the day progressed.
While Dhurandhar dominated the day with a reported ₹15 crore collection, trade observers note that Ikkis holding its ground amid such competition is a promising sign, particularly for its performance over the extended opening weekend.
Ikkis is based on the life of Arun Khetarpal, the youngest recipient of India’s highest gallantry award, the Param Vir Chakra. The film chronicles Khetarpal’s exploits and bravery during the 1971 India-Pakistan War. Agastya plays Khetarpal in the film.
While screen legend Dharmendra appears as his father in his final performance, Dharmendra died a little over a month before the film’s release. Ikkis is also among the final films of the late Asrani, who also died late last year. The film also stars Jaideep Ahlawat and Deepak Dobriyal.
