Pune: A bank inspector was arrested by the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) for accepting a bribe of ₹1.1 lakh from a reinstated employee of the Maharashtra State Transport Bank. The incident took place on a road near Bank of Baroda in Ruikar Colony, Kolhapur.

The accused, Rahul Ramesh Pujari (43), had demanded a total bribe of ₹1.6 lakh from a clerk to provide a favorable inquiry report. The complainant had earlier been suspended for marking himself present for 185 days without logging in and for defaulting on loan repayments for seven months during his tenure at the Pandharpur branch (July 2022 to June 2023).

After his suspension, the Maharashtra State Transport Bank appointed Pujari as the inquiry officer. To expedite the submission of a favorable report, Pujari demanded a bribe of ₹2 lakh, which was later negotiated to ₹1.6 lakh. He received an initial payment of ₹50,000 and submitted the inquiry report, leading to the complainant's reinstatement on November 30, 2024, at the bank’s Mumbai Central office.

However, when the complainant did not pay the remaining ₹1.1 lakh, Pujari repeatedly pressured him. The complainant approached the ACB, which verified the allegations and set up a trap. On January 10, Pujari was caught red-handed while accepting the bribe.

A case has been registered against Pujari at Shahupuri Police Station in Kolhapur, and he has been taken into custody. The operation was conducted under the guidance of Superintendent of Police Shirish Sardeshpande and Additional Superintendent of Police Vijay Chaudhary, with Police Inspector Vijay Pawar leading the investigation.