Bhiwandi, October 10, 2026: The Thane unit of the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) has arrested Bhiwandi Karivali village sarpanch Sanjay Naik for allegedly accepting a bribe of ₹7.5 lakh from a contractor in connection with a ₹2.33-crore pond conservation and beautification project.
The arrest followed an ACB trap at the sarpanch’s private office on the village panchayat premises on October 9. A case was registered at Bhiwandi police station on Saturday, and further legal proceedings are underway.
Project Funding And Public Contribution
According to the ACB, the Thane Zilla Parishad’s Minor Irrigation Department had approved a tender worth more than ₹2.33 crore for the conservation and beautification of a pond in the Karivali Gram Panchayat area.
Under the funding arrangement, the government was to contribute 90 per cent of the project cost, while the remaining 10 per cent had to be raised through public participation.
The public contribution was fixed at ₹23.94 lakh. The work order could be issued only after the amount was deposited with the Zilla Parishad. Of this contribution, the Gram Panchayat administration had already deposited ₹7 lakh. An undertaking was required from the Gram Panchayat to facilitate the phased deposit of the remaining ₹16.34 lakh.
₹10 Lakh Bribe Demand Allegedly Reduced
The contractor allegedly approached Sarpanch Sanjay Naik for the undertaking, following which Naik demanded a bribe of ₹10 lakh, according to the complaint. The complainant alleged that despite paying the demanded amount, the undertaking was not issued.
On October 5, Naik allegedly reiterated the demand for ₹10 lakh. Instead of paying the amount, the contractor approached the Thane ACB and lodged a complaint.
The ACB conducted a verification operation at the sarpanch’s private office on October 7. During the verification, the alleged bribe amount was reportedly negotiated down to ₹7.5 lakh.
ACB Trap Leads To Arrest
Acting on the complaint, the ACB laid a trap at around 5.30 pm on October 9 at the private office located within the Gram Panchayat premises. Naik was allegedly caught red-handed while accepting ₹7.5 lakh from the complainant.
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The arrest has brought the alleged demand for illegal gratification in a major public infrastructure project under scrutiny. Further investigation and legal proceedings are in progress.
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