Nashik: Forest Range Officer Kailas Navneet Sonawane (Class-2) and Forest Guard Sunil Balasaheb Tongare (Class-3) were caught red-handed accepting a bribe at the Harsul Forest Range office in Trimbakeshwar taluka. The Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) Nashik unit carried out the operation.
The complainant had purchased a Tata company tipper truck (number MH-12-TRFLK692) in his son's name on October 21, 2025. He had loaded half a brass of sand from the river at Khamshet in Peth taluka for plastering his house. While transporting this sand on October 21, the accused Kailas Sonawane stopped the complainant and registered a case under the Forest Act.
On December 31, the complainant went to the Harsul office to get his tipper truck released. At that time, Kailas Sonawane demanded a bribe of Rs. 50,000. On January 1, the complainant filed a complaint with the ACB.
During verification on January 1, Kailas Sonawane demanded a bribe of Rs. 50,000 and initially accepted Rs. 35,000. During further verification on January 2, Kailas Sonawane again demanded Rs. 50,000, agreeing to accept Rs. 35,000 initially and the remaining Rs. 15,000 after the tipper truck was released. At the same time, Sunil Tongare demanded and accepted Rs. 10,000 for himself.
On January 2, at the Harsul Forest Range office, the ACB caught Kailas Sonawane and Sunil Tongare red-handed while Sonawane was accepting a bribe of Rs. 35,000 in Tongare's presence. The process of registering a case under Section 7 of the Prevention of Corruption Act at Harsul Police Station is underway. This operation was conducted by a team led by ACB Deputy Superintendent Swati Pawar, and included Police Constables Sharad Hembade, Yuvraj Khandvi, Avinash Pawar, Dinesh Khairnar, and Chapona Parshuram Jadhav.
The operation was guided by Police Inspector Atul Chaudhary, Superintendent of Police Bharat Tangde, Additional Superintendent of Police Madhav Reddy, and Manil Togo.
The ACB appeals to citizens to provide information about public servants who demand bribes. Please contact the Maharashtra State Anti-Corruption Bureau.
