Forest Surveyor Booked For Accepting Rs 4 Lakh Bribe, ACB Arrests Accused In Pune

Pune: The Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) in Pune has arrested a forest surveyor for allegedly accepting a bribe of Rs 4 lakh. The accused was caught red-handed during a trap operation carried out on Sunday afternoon. Officials said the action was taken after a formal complaint and verification of the demand.

The accused has been identified as Uday Singh Bhimrao Kumbhar (46), working as a Forest Surveyor (Class II) in the office of the Deputy Conservator of Forests, Pune, located on Senapati Bapat Road (SB Road). He was apprehended near Pune Preventive Cardiology Centre and in front of YK Wadavale Hotel at Aranyeshwar Chowk around 12:35 pm while accepting the bribe amount from the complainant.

According to ACB officials, the complainant is involved in the land purchase and sale business. He needed copies of 11 restored orders related to the removal of private forest remarks from 7/12 land records. These records were linked to land parcels in Chikhalsegaon, Aapti, and Kunenama villages in Maval tehsil of Pune district.

The complainant had submitted an application for the documents on 13th February 2026 at the forest department office. During a follow-up visit on 4th March, he was directed to Kumbhar. Officials said the accused demanded Rs 7 lakh to provide the required documents. He claimed that seven of the orders were available in the record room and could be accessed.

Unwilling to pay the bribe, the complainant approached the ACB and filed a complaint on 13th March. A verification was conducted the same day. During this process, Kumbhar allegedly negotiated and agreed to accept Rs 4 lakh instead of the original demand.

Case Registered...

After confirming the demand, the ACB team planned a trap. On 29th March, the complainant handed over Rs 4 lakh in cash to the accused. As soon as the money was accepted, the team moved in and caught Kumbhar on the spot.

The operation was conducted under the guidance of Satish Walke and Prasad Lonare.

A case has been registered against the accused at Sahakar Nagar Police Station under the provisions of the Prevention of Corruption Act 1988. Officials said further investigation is in progress to examine if more officials are involved.