Pune ACB Court Grants Bail to Liquidator in Rs 8 Crore Ekta Cooperative Society Bribery Case

Pune, 25th January 2026: The Special ACB Court in Pune has granted bail to Vinod Manikrao Deshmukh (50), a court-appointed liquidator arrested in connection with the alleged ₹8 crore bribery case linked to Ekta Cooperative Society in Dhankawadi.

Deshmukh, a resident of Sinhagad Darshan Society in Vadgaon Khurd near Dhayari Phata, was arrested by the Pune Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) on December 5, 2025, in a trap operation. The ACB claims he accepted the first instalment of ₹30 lakh after allegedly demanding a total bribe of ₹8 crore to regularise membership issues of a cooperative housing society under liquidation. An FIR was later registered at Vishrambaug police station.

The court granted bail on a personal bond of ₹1 lakh.

While allowing the application, Special and Additional Sessions Judge Sucheta M. Takalikar observed that continued custody was not justified at this stage. “The accused is a permanent resident of Pune and has no past criminal record. The investigation is substantially complete and there is no real possibility of tampering with evidence,” the judge noted.

Addressing the prosecution’s concerns, the court said they could be handled through strict conditions. “Merely on the ground of apprehension, it would not be proper to keep the accused in jail for a long period. The applicant has made out reasonable grounds for bail,” Judge Takalikar said in her order.

According to the prosecution, Deshmukh was serving as a liquidator appointed by the Cooperative Department, while Bhaskar Rajaram Pol, a government panel auditor, was also involved in dealing with the complainant. The complainant is one of 32 new members of Ekta Cooperative Society at Dhankawadi, who had purchased shares from old members in 2005 and were later granted membership. The society is currently under liquidation.

The ACB alleged that Deshmukh demanded ₹8 crore from the complainant and other new members to regularise their membership and resolve complications arising from the liquidation process. Investigators termed it one of the highest bribe demands ever reported in Maharashtra’s cooperative sector.

The prosecution further claimed that Pol, who was the society’s administrator at the time, demanded ₹3 crore for himself and Deshmukh for issuing share certificates to the complainant and other members. An additional ₹5 crore was allegedly sought to ensure that a specific process related to the society would be awarded to a person suggested by the complainant, taking the total alleged demand to ₹8 crore.

Appearing for Deshmukh, advocate Jitendra Sawant told the court that the probe was at an advanced stage and the accused was ready to cooperate. “No offence is established at this preliminary stage. Continued custody is unnecessary,” Sawant argued.

Advocates Rahul Bharekar, Prasad Jichkar and Shubham Karanajawne also represented Deshmukh. The defence pointed out that the complainant has several criminal cases against him, including a serious offence under the Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA). “The complainant approached the ACB only after getting bail in his own cases. There is personal animosity and an attempt to falsely implicate the accused,” the defence submitted.

The court has imposed conditions to ensure Deshmukh’s cooperation with the investigation as the case proceeds.