ACB traps police sub-inspector accepting ₹46.5 lakh bribe after demanding ₹2 crore for bail assurance
The arrested has been identified as Pramod Ravindra Chintamani, 44, a resident of Dighi Road, Bhosari, who is originally from Parner taluka in Ahilyanagar district
The Pune Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) on Sunday caught a police sub-inspector (PSI) attached to the Economic Offences Wing (EOW) of the Pimpri-Chinchwad Police Commissionerate red-handed while accepting a bribe of ₹46.50 lakh.
The arrested has been identified as Pramod Ravindra Chintamani, 44, a resident of Dighi Road, Bhosari, who is originally from Parner taluka in Ahilyanagar district.
According to the ACB, the complainant is a 48-year-old lawyer who approached them after the accused Chintamani allegedly demanded a ₹2 crore bribe to “help” him get the bail for his client’s father by filing a say in the court in an ongoing criminal case registered at Bavdhan police station.
The lawyer’s client and his father were accused in the said case, with the father currently in judicial custody. The investigation of the case was assigned to Chintamani, who allegedly demanded money to provide assistance in the investigation and to help secure bail for the client’s father.
Initially, the officer demanded ₹2 lakh, but during the verification phase on October 27, he allegedly increased the demand to ₹2 crore — ₹1 crore for himself and another ₹1 crore for his superior officer. It was agreed that the first installment of ₹50 lakh would be paid soon.
ACB officials found that, accused officer demanded a bribe amount from ₹2 lakh to ₹2 crore after verifying bank details and getting an idea about the lawyer’s fee.
Acting on the complaint, the ACB laid a trap near Untadya Maruti Temple, Rasta Peth. During the operation, Chintamani accepted ₹46.5 lakh ( ₹1.5 lakh in genuine currency notes and ₹45 lakh in dummy notes used for the trap) from the complainant and was caught red-handed.
The accused was immediately taken into custody, and the process to register an FIR at Samarth Police Station, Pune City, under the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988, is underway.
During the search, ACB officials seized the bribe amount, two mobile phones, ₹3,600 in cash, and the officer’s official ID card. The ACB team also launched a search operation at the officer’s residence, which is currently ongoing.
Senior ACB officials confirmed that both mobile phones have been seized for forensic examination, and further investigation will determine whether any senior officials were involved in the bribery demand.
