Pune: PCMC Contract Worker Arrested in Bribery Case; Water Inspector on the Run

Pimpri Chinchwad, 9th November 2024: The Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) has taken action against a female contract computer operator and a water meter inspector at the H Ward Office of the Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC) for demanding a bribe to regularize water supply payments. The woman was caught accepting a bribe of ₹600.

A case has been registered against water meter inspector Vikas Soma Gavhane and contract computer operator Asha Kanifnath Choupali at Dapodi Police Station. Choupali has been arrested, while Gavhane remains at large.

The complainant’s water bill was being calculated on an average basis. Gavhane allegedly demanded ₹1,000 for himself and ₹600 for Choupali to adjust the billing to reflect actual water usage. After the complainant reported this to the ACB, the team verified the complaint and set a trap. During the operation, Choupali demanded ₹600 for herself and ₹1,000 for Gavhane, totaling ₹1,600 to regularize the water supply billing. She was caught by the ACB while accepting the bribe.

A phone conversation between Choupali and Gavhane revealed that Gavhane instructed her to hold onto the amount she had accepted on his behalf.