Pimpri-Chinchwad: EOW PSI Suspended, Sr PI Transferred Amid ₹2-Crore Bribery Allegations; Departmental Inquiry Initiated

Pimpri-Chinchwad: Pimpri-Chinchwad Commissioner of Police Vinoy Kumar Choubey has ordered a departmental inquiry against the Senior Police Inspector of the Economic Offences Wing (EOW), who was named in a bribery case involving ₹46.50 lakh for helping a lawyer's client.

The departmental inquiry has been initiated against Senior Police Inspector Sandeep Sawant. The name of the suspended corrupt PSI is Pramod Ravindra Chintamani (44, Bhosari; originally from Parner Tehsil, Ahilyanagar).

The Economic Offences Wing (EOW) of the Pimpri-Chinchwad Police Commissionerate (PCPC) was investigating a fraud case involving ₹4 crore. The investigation officer of this case was PSI Pramod Chintamani. Chintamani had initially demanded a bribe of ₹2 lakh to help the client and file the police reply ('say') on the bail application.

However, after realising the large scale of the transactions in the case, Chintamani escalated his demand to ₹2 crore. It was revealed that he demanded ₹1 crore for the senior police inspector in the EOW and ₹1 crore for himself. The complainants filed a complaint with the Pune City Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB).

Following that, the ACB caught Chintamani red-handed in the Samarth Police Station area in Pune while accepting the first instalment of the bribe, which was ₹46.50 lakh. When his house in Dighi was raided, the police recovered a huge amount of cash worth ₹51 lakh. Jewellery and other documents were also seized. Following this action, Pimpri-Chinchwad Police Chief Vinoy Kumar Choubey decided to take action of his own. Choubey, who faced scrutiny due to this situation, ordered a departmental inquiry.

As of now, PSI Pramod Chintamani is suspended from service. Additionally, Senior Police Inspector Sandeep Sawant of the EOW has been transferred to the Control Room. Following this, orders for Sawant's departmental inquiry have now been given. Further action will be taken based on the findings of the inquiry.