Corruption: Pune ACB Traps Two Officials of Mahatma Phule Backward Class Development Corporation for Bribery
Pune, 6th March 2026: The Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB), Pune, has arrested two senior officials of the Mahatma Phule Backward Class Development Corporation for allegedly demanding and accepting a bribe of ₹15,000 from a local photographer.
The accused have been identified as Mahendra Malesha Mane (56), a District Manager (Class-2 officer), and Santosh Namdev Shinde (55), an Assistant Accounts Officer (Class-3 officer).
The complainant, a 44-year-old professional photographer, had applied for a loan of ₹3,08,990 through Canara Bank to purchase a new camera. Under a state welfare scheme, the Mahatma Phule Backward Class Development Corporation provides a subsidy of up to ₹50,000 to individuals from backward classes to start or expand businesses.
The complainant had submitted his application for this ₹50,000 subsidy in September 2025. According to the investigation, the accused officials were responsible for conducting site visits, verifying documents, and recommending the case to the regional office for final approval.
To provide a positive recommendation and forward the file to the regional office, the officials initially demanded a bribe of ₹20,000. Following a complaint filed with the ACB on January 30, 2026, the bureau conducted verification operations on February 4 and 5, 2026. During these verifications, the accused settled for a compromised amount of ₹15,000.
On March 5, 2026, the ACB laid a trap near Pune Cafe at Apollo Chowk, Rasta Peth. At approximately 7:07 PM, Santosh Shinde was caught red-handed while accepting the bribe of ₹15,000 from the complainant. Subsequently, at 8:38 PM, the District Manager, Mahendra Mane, was also taken into custody from his residence.
A case has been registered at the Samarth Police Station, Pune, under the relevant sections of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988.
Interestingly, the investigation revealed that Mahendra Mane already has a prior case (Crime No. 779/2023) registered against him at the Sadar Bazar Police Station in Solapur under the same Act, which is currently sub-judice.
The operation was carried out under the guidance of Shirish Sardeshpande (SP, ACB Pune), Ajit Patil (Additional SP), and Arjun Bhosle (Additional SP). The trap was led by Police Inspector Prasad Lonare and investigated by Police Inspector Khanderao Ranjve.
