Three Pune Zilla Parishad officials held in ₹2.75 lakh ACB bribery trap

Three Pune Zilla Parishad education officials were arrested for demanding a ₹2.75 lakh bribe to process a promotion proposal.

The Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) on Monday arrested three officials from the Pune Zilla Parishad’s education department for allegedly demanding and accepting a bribe of ₹2.75 lakh to process a promotion-related proposal.

The complainant approached the ACB, following which a verification was conducted on February 11, 2026. (REPRESENTATIVE PIC)

The accused have been identified as Anil Randhave 32, Rajesh Khandare 52, and Atish Shinde 40.

According to the ACB, the accused include a senior assistant and two other officials attached to the education department. The trio had allegedly demanded ₹3 lakh from the complainant for forwarding a proposal related to promotion. Initially, they had accepted ₹25,000 and demanded the remaining ₹2.75 lakh amount.

The complainant approached the ACB, following which a verification was conducted on February 11, 2026. During the probe, officials confirmed that the accused had agreed to accept the bribe amount.

Acting on the complaint, the ACB laid a trap on April 6. During the operation, the accused were caught red-handed while accepting ₹2.75 lakh as part of the demanded bribe amount in front of the Avenue Mall, Pune.

Officials said the accused had allegedly been delaying the complainant’s work and demanding money in exchange for clearing the proposal through official channels. The case has been registered under relevant sections of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988, and further investigation is underway.