Pune: Bavdhan Police API Caught Demanding Rs 50,000 Bribe
Reported by Mubarak Ansari
Bavdhan, 13th May 2026: The Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB), Pune, has taken an Assistant Police Inspector (API) into custody for allegedly demanding a bribe to favor a complainant and his relatives in an ongoing criminal investigation.
The accused officer has been identified as 41-year-old Jyoti Pandurang Tambe, an API (Class-2) stationed at the Bavdhan Police Station under the Pimpri Chinchwad Police Commissionerate.
According to ACB on Wednesday, API Tambe was the assigned investigating officer for a case registered against a 29-year-old man and his relatives at the Bavdhan Police Station. Tambe allegedly demanded a bribe of ₹50,000 from the complainant in exchange for extending undue favors, which included shielding his relatives from arrest and expediting the filing of the chargesheet.
Unwilling to pay the bribe, the complainant approached the Pune ACB office on March 12, 2026. Acting swiftly on the complaint, the anti-graft agency conducted verification procedures on March 12 and March 17, 2026. During the verification process, it was confirmed that Tambe had initially demanded ₹50,000 but later agreed to reduce the amount by ₹5,000 to ₹10,000, bringing her final demand down to between ₹40,000 and ₹45,000.
Following the confirmation of the demand, ACB officials took API Tambe into custody. An FIR (CR No. 186/2026) has been registered against her at the Bavdhan Police Station under Section 7 of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988.
The operation was executed under the guidance of Pune ACB Superintendent of Police Shirish Sardeshpande, and Additional SPs Ajit Patil and Arjun Bhosale. The verification trap was led by Assistant Commissioner of Police Nita Misal, while Police Inspector Suhas Hardekar is further investigating the case.
The ACB has urged citizens to come forward and report any public servant demanding a bribe for official government work by contacting their helpline or website.
