The Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) of Maharashtra on Sunday arrested two police officers, an assistant police inspector and a constable, on charges of taking a bribe of Rs 8,000 to return a vehicle involved in an accident. The arrested officers were identified as Assistant Police Inspector Santosh Suresh Salunke, 44, and Constable Sandeep Bhimrao Rathvate, 36. Both are posted at the Manchar police station in Pune district.
According to the ACB, a 24-year-old man had filed a complaint against the two officers. The man had been booked in an accident case in December 2023. Salunke was investigating the case. Salunke and Rathvate allegedly demanded Rs 40,000 from the man to return his vehicle. The man approached the ACB and filed a complaint.The ACB verified the complaint and laid a trap for the two officers. On Saturday, Rathvate allegedly accepted Rs 8,000 from the man at the Manchar agricultural produce market committee gate. The ACB arrested the two officers and booked them under the Prevention of Corruption Act. The case is being investigated by Police Inspector Vidyulata Chavan.
In 2022, 748 accidents were recorded in Pune city, resulting in 293 fatalities. This was the highest number of deaths in five years. The Mumbai-Pune Expressway, particularly the stretch between Kiwale toll post and Amrutanjan Point, has seen a high number of accidents. Over-speeding and human error are major contributing factors to accidents in Pune. The Pune City Traffic Police and civic authorities are working to implement measures to reduce the number of accidents and fatalities.