Santosh Khandekar, Commissioner of the Jalna Municipal Corporation, was caught red-handed by the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) while accepting a bribe of Rs 10 lakh at his residence near Motibag, Jalna, said Deputy Superintendent of Police Balu Jadhavar.
The complainant, a contractor, had undertaken multiple civic construction projects under the Jalna Municipal Corporation. These included construction of a CC Road and DP Road from Valmiki Nagar (Gandhinagar) Bridge to Ring Road, CC Road and underground drainage work from Bhakkad Farm to Bhawani Nagar, third-floor construction work at the Jalna Municipal Corporation office and cement concrete work on a 24-meter-wide DP Road from APMC Ring Road to Hindnagar.
The total amount sanctioned for the road work alone was Rs 2.90 crore, of which Rs 1.92 crore had already been disbursed. The remaining payment and clearance of work records were pending approval from the Commissioner.
According to the complaint, the accused Commissioner had already accepted Rs 40 lakh as a bribe for issuing work orders and project approvals. He later demanded an additional Rs 20 lakh. A partial payment of Rs 10 lakh was scheduled for October 15, 2025.
The contractor filed a written complaint at the Jalna ACB office on October 15. Acting on this, a trap was laid on October 16, around 7:35 p.m. Khandekar was caught in the act of accepting Rs 10 lakh in cash and was immediately detained.
A mobile phone was also seized during the operation, and further searches at his residence are ongoing.
A formal case has been registered against the accused at the Kadim Police Station, and legal proceedings are underway, said Jadhavar.
