Mumbai Crime Branch officer arrested for accepting bribe of Rs 2 lakh

API Nagesh Puranik

The Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) laid a trap on Friday night and arrested a 45-year-old Assistant Police Inspector (API) attached to the Mumbai Crime Branch Property Cell for allegedly demanding and accepting a bribe of Rs 2 lakh.

A case has been registered against API Nagesh Puranik under relevant sections of Prevention of Corruption Act.

According to the ACB, the complainant in the case is the wife of a luxury car theft accused, who was being investigated by Puranik. Her husband's friend is also an accused in the case. Puranik had demanded Rs 12 lakh from the complainant to stop the action against him.

The woman paid Rs 4 lakh, but Puranik kept threatening her to demand the balance amount. When the complainant said that she could not pay Rs 8 lakh, Puranik agreed to settle the matter after getting Rs 4 lakh more. Having no option left, the accused rushed to ACB office and registered a complaint, and the officials decided to lay a trap at property cell office.

Also Read: Leaked CBI report giving clean chit to Anil Deshmukh is genuine: Nawab Malik

As part of the plan, the complainant agreed to bring Rs 2 lakh to the accused at the property cell's office. On Friday night, when she reached the office to hand over the money to Puranik, the ACB arrested the officer. He was presented in the court on Saturday.

The ACB officer told the court, "When the woman gave Rs 2 lakh to Nagesh Puranik in the property cell office and he took the money at the same time, the ACB arrested him red-handed."

The court has sent Nagesh Puranik to police custody till September 27.