Aurangabad, May 20: Jalna sub-divisional police officer (SDPO) and two other policemen were caught red-handed by an anti corruption bureau (ACB) squad from Pune unit while accepting Rs 2 lakh in bribe from a middle-aged man booked in an Atrocity case, in Jalna on Thursday.
The tainted SDPO has been identified as Sudhir Khiradkar (45) while his accomplices as Santosh Niranjan Ambhore (45) and Vitthal Punjaram Kharde (35), both constabulary staffers.
According to an ACB statement, the complainant was booked in a case under the Prevention of Atrocity SC/ST Act and was asked to pay Rs 5 lakh for getting a favour the case. The bribe amount was later settled for Rs 3 lakh on bargaining and the complainant agreed to give Rs 2 lakh as the first installment. The ACB sleuths first verified the facts mentioned in the complaint and then laid a trap on the premises of Khiradkar’s office before catching Ambhore while accepting the Rs 2 lakh on behalf of Khiradkar.
Later, the squad arrested Khiradkar and Kharde before searching Khiradkar’s house. A case has been registered against the trio under the Prevention of Corruption Act and relevant sections of the IPC. The sources said the Pune ACB squad was camping in the town for the last three days and watching the movement of the accused.
Under the guidance of superintendent of police ACB, Pune, Rajesh Bansode and deputy SP Varsharani Patil, the ACB team members including police inspector Sunil Kshirsagar, police personnel Navnath Walke and Kiran Chimte, Dinesh Mane and others executed the trap.