Agriculture Department Official Arrested For Bribery In Pune; Investigation Underway
Pune, 11th January 2025: Sanjay Gunjal, the Deputy Director of the Horticulture Department under the Agriculture Commissionerate, was arrested by the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) on charges of demanding a bribe. The arrest took place late on Friday night in the Sangamwadi area, where Gunjal was caught accepting a bribe of ₹2.5 lakh from a suspended employee.
The case against Gunjal stems from a complaint filed by the suspended employee, who had worked as a junior clerk in Jalgaon Jamod, Buldhana, during the 2019-2020 period. The employee was suspended by the Joint Director of Agriculture in Amravati due to allegations of malpractices and irregularities under the Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchan Yojana. An ongoing investigation is currently probing the charges.
Gunjal allegedly demanded ₹3 lakh from the suspended employee, offering assistance in addressing the objections raised against the complainant during the suspension period. After negotiations, the bribe amount was reduced to ₹2.5 lakh, and the complainant filed a complaint with the ACB’s Pune office.
Superintendent of Police Shirish Sardeshpande verified the complaint and coordinated a trap. On Friday night, the complainant was instructed to meet Gunjal at the Arambus stop in Sangamwadi, where the bribe was handed over. Gunjal was caught red-handed while accepting the money.
The operation was conducted under the supervision of Superintendent Sardeshpande and Additional Superintendent Vijay Pawar. A case has been filed at the Yerwada police station, and Police Inspector Praveen Nimbalkar is leading the investigation.
