A police constable posted at the Sonpeth police station in Parbhani district was caught accepting a bribe after demanding money from a complainant seeking action on a police complaint. According to officials, the complainant had approached the police station to ask about the status of a complaint filed by his daughter. At that time, the constable allegedly demanded ₹10,000 to take action against the accused mentioned in the complaint. Following verification of the complaint, the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) laid a trap on Friday at Neela Phata on the Gangakhed–Parli road and caught the constable while accepting ₹8,000.
The accused has been identified as Bhagwan Vitthal Mundhe (54), a police constable posted at the Sonpeth police station. The complainant runs a cowshed, and the issue began when his daughter was present there about one and a half years ago. A few individuals reportedly arrived at the cowshed and claimed that a cow and two calves kept there belonged to them. After arguing and abusing the complainant’s daughter, they allegedly took away the animals. The daughter later filed a written complaint at the police station, which was forwarded to Beat Jamadar Bhagwan Mundhe for inquiry and further action.
When the complainant visited the police station to ask about the progress of the complaint, the constable allegedly demanded ₹10,000 to process the case and take action against the accused persons. After receiving this information, the ACB team initiated verification. During the verification conducted on February 25 at Vishwalakshmi Raswanti Gruh located at Neela Phata on Parli Road, the constable reiterated his demand for ₹10,000. The complainant negotiated and offered ₹8,000 instead, to which the constable agreed. Based on this confirmation, officials planned a trap operation to catch him while accepting the bribe.
The trap was executed on Friday at Vishwalakshmi Raswanti Gruh near Neela Phata, where the accused constable accepted ₹8,000 in bribe money in the presence of independent witnesses. Following the arrest, officials seized the accused’s belongings during the investigation. The items recovered included a mobile phone, a wallet, a police identity card, a voter ID card, and ₹650 in cash. Authorities also began the process of searching his residence as part of the investigation. However, during the proceedings after the trap operation, the accused’s health deteriorated, prompting doctors to refer him for further medical treatment.
Due to his deteriorating health condition, officials issued a notice to the accused’s relatives and temporarily handed him over to them for medical care. Meanwhile, the legal process in the bribery case is continuing. The trap operation was conducted by a team from the Parbhani unit of the Anti-Corruption Bureau under the supervision of Deputy Superintendent of Police Rahul Tarkase. The operation was carried out by Police Inspector Manisha Pawar along with other members of the team. On behalf of the government, Deputy Superintendent Rahul Tarkase filed a formal complaint at the Sonpeth police station regarding the bribery offence.