Pune, 30 March 2026: A forest surveyor was arrested by the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) in Pune while accepting a bribe of ₹4 lakh for processing documents related to forest land records.
The accused, Udaysingh Bhimrao Kumbhar (46), a resident of Datta Nagar, Katraj, was caught during a trap operation at Aranyeshwar Chowk on Sunday.
According to ACB officials, the complainant, a 48-year-old involved in land transactions, had applied for documents required to restore forest land records to their original status in Vadgaon Maval taluka.
The restoration process had been ordered by the revenue department, and the complainant approached the forest department office on Senapati Bapat Road to obtain the necessary paperwork.
During the interaction, Kumbhar allegedly demanded a bribe of ₹7 lakh to facilitate the process. After negotiations, the amount was reduced to ₹4 lakh. The complainant then approached the ACB on March 13 and filed a written complaint.
Following verification of the bribery demand, the ACB laid a trap. On March 29, around 12:30 pm, Kumbhar was caught accepting the ₹4 lakh bribe from the complainant. He was immediately taken into custody.
A case has been registered at Sahakarnagar Police Station under the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988. The operation was conducted under the guidance of Superintendent of Police Shirish Sardeshpande, along with senior officials Ajit Patil and Arjun Bhosale.
The team was led by Assistant Commissioner Satish Walke, and further investigation is being carried out by Police Inspector Prasad Lonare.
