State board divisional chairman held for accepting ₹20,000 bribe

The accused, Rajendra Manik Ahire (55), a (Class I ) officer posted at the board’s Mumbai divisional office in Vashi, was caught red-handed in his cabin around 1 pm while accepting the bribe

Mumbai: The Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) on Tuesday arrested the Mumbai divisional chairman of the Maharashtra State Board of Secondary and Higher Secondary Education (MSBSHSE) for allegedly accepting a ₹20,000 bribe to clear a contractor’s pending bills.

State board divisional chairman held for accepting ₹20,000 bribe

The accused, Rajendra Manik Ahire (55), a (Class I ) officer posted at the board’s Mumbai divisional office in Vashi, was caught red-handed in his cabin around 1 pm while accepting the bribe.

Another official, Manohar Laxman Pawar (50), a (Class III ) employee and store branch head, has been booked as a co-accused for allegedly facilitating the demand.

According to ACB officials, the complainant is an electrical contractor who had been awarded a one-year contract from September 2025 to August 2026 for maintenance and repair work at the Vashi office. The contract carried a monthly payment of ₹26,400 plus GST.

The contractor had submitted bills worth ₹3.16 lakh for the period between November 2025 and February 2026. “The accused allegedly demanded 7% of the total bill amount to clear the dues,” an ACB officer said.

Based on the complaint, the ACB laid a trap on April 7. “Ahire accepted the bribe in his cabin and was immediately apprehended with the tainted cash,” an officer said, adding that further legal procedures are underway.

A case is being registered against both the accused under provisions of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988. The operation was supervised by senior ACB officials, including superintendent of police Shivraj Patil and additional superintendents Bhagwat Sonawane and Suhas Shinde.