MSEDCL Bribery Case – Executive Engineer Held in Ambajogai Trap
MSEDCL Bribery Case – An executive engineer with the Maharashtra State Electricity Distribution Company Limited was apprehended by the Anti-Corruption Bureau after allegedly accepting ₹5,000 from an entrepreneur at the Ambajogai division office on Tuesday.
Approval Process Linked to Alleged Demand
The officer has been identified as Manish Pundlikrao Dakare, 47, who was serving as an executive engineer at the MSEDCL office in Ambajogai. According to ACB officials, the complainant was preparing to establish an aqua plant and had applied for financial assistance, including a loan and subsidy, through the Annasaheb Patil Arthik Vikas Mahamandal.
For the proposed unit, the applicant required a sanctioned budget estimate for the installation of a 25 KV transformer at the project location. The estimate was reportedly forwarded to Dakare for approval and signature. Investigators alleged that the engineer sought ₹5,000 to process and clear the proposal.
Complaint Filed With Beed Anti-Corruption Bureau
Rather than paying the amount, the entrepreneur approached the Beed unit of the Anti-Corruption Bureau and submitted a complaint on Monday. Officials said the agency verified the alleged demand the same day in the presence of independent government witnesses.
After the verification, the ACB planned a trap at the MSEDCL office in Ambajogai on Tuesday, July 7. The agency said Dakare was detained immediately after he allegedly accepted ₹5,000 from the complainant.
An ACB official said the action was taken after the demand was independently confirmed during the verification process. The agency is examining the matter further as part of its investigation.
Engineer Taken Into Custody
Dakare, originally from Kalyan and presently living in the Maulinagar area of Ambajogai, was taken into custody following the operation. Officials said legal procedures were being completed to register a case at Ambajogai City Police Station.
The proposed case is expected to be filed under relevant provisions of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988. Further action will depend on the investigation and subsequent legal process.
Senior ACB Officers Oversaw Operation
The trap operation was conducted under the supervision of Superintendent of Police Madhuri Kedar Kangane and Additional Superintendent of Police Shashikant Shingare of the ACB, Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar.
Deputy Superintendent of Police Sopan Chittampalle led the field team from the Beed unit. The operation also involved police personnel Machhindra Beedkar, Pradip Surwase and Amol Kharsade, along with driver Ambadas Puri.
The case highlights the role of anti-corruption agencies in responding to complaints involving alleged demands for money in connection with official approvals. Authorities have not released further details about the investigation, and the matter will proceed through the legal process.