‘Settlement Goes Wrong’: Lawyer In Pune Arrested For Demanding Rs 5 Lakh Bribe To Prevent Filling Of Case
Kothrud, 11th January 2024: A 25-year-old lawyer has been arrested for allegedly demanding a bribe of Rs 3.5 lakh from a woman and her two friends to help in preventing a case from being registered against them.
The complainant’s two friends were taken to Shastrinagar police chowky under Kothrud police station, Pune city police. The lawyer, identified as Sumit Gaikwad of Ambegaon Pathar, reportedly claimed he was “compromising” with the Kothrud police officials to avoid filing a case against the woman and her friends.
According to the complaint filed with the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) Pune, Gaikwad, who was acquainted with a friend of the complainant, initially demanded Rs 5 lakh. He then allegedly took Rs 1 lakh from the complainant and a total of Rs 55,000 through PhonePe from the complainant’s friends, bringing the total sum to Rs 1.55 lakh. Gaikwad reportedly kept demanding another Rs 3.5 lakh, claiming he wouldn’t destroy evidence against the complainant until the full amount was paid.
The ACB, upon verifying the complaint, laid a trap for Gaikwad. In front of witnesses, Gaikwad allegedly reduced the bribe demand to Rs 3 lakh and accepted Rs 20,000 through PhonePe, purportedly for the police.
Following this, a case was registered against Gaikwad at the Kothrud police station under relevant sections of the Prevention of Corruption Act.
