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Deputy director of horticulture dept held for taking bribe

During searches, the ACB team recovered an additional amount of Rs 2.15 lakh from Sanjay Gunjal's car.

Gunjal allegedly demanded a bribe of Rs 3 lakh from the suspended clerk for not conducting any further inquiry and lodging an FIR against the latter. (Representational image)

The Pune unit of the state anti-corruption bureau (ACB) nabbed the horticulture department’s deputy director for allegedly demanding and accepting a bribe from a suspended government staffer.

ACB identified the accused officer as Sanjay Gunjal, deputy director of horticulture department, Agriculture Commissionerate of Maharashtra Government, located at Shivajinagar in Pune.

A press release issued by the ACB stated that a junior clerk attached to the agriculture office in Buldhana district was suspended from service on December 17, 2024 due to alleged dereliction in duty related to the Prime Minister Agriculture Irrigation Scheme.

Gunjal allegedly demanded a bribe of Rs 3 lakh from the suspended clerk for not conducting any further inquiry and lodging an FIR against the latter. After negotiations, Gunjal allegedly agreed to accept Rs 2.5 lakh for helping the suspended clerk. But he filed a complaint against Gunjal at the ACB, Pune office. ACB sleuths then laid a trap and nabbed Gunjal red handed while accepting the bribe money on the road in front of a private travels office in Sangamwadi on Friday.

During searches, the ACB team recovered an additional amount of Rs 2.15 lakh from Gunjal’s car. An FIR was lodged against Gunjal under sections of the Prevention of Corruption Act, stated the press release issued by deputy superintendent of police Dayanand Gawade of the ACB.

Police inspector Pravin Nimbalkar of the ACB is investigating the case.

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