Maharashtra Forest Officer Arrested for Accepting Bribe of ₹45 Lakhs

Arrest of Forest Department Official

On Friday, the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) of Maharashtra apprehended a forest department official for allegedly soliciting and accepting a bribe of ₹45 lakhs. To catch the official, the ACB set up a sting operation using dummy currency worth ₹40 lakhs. According to officials, the accused, Srinivas Linganna Lakhmavad (40), a Class-1 officer in the Social Forestry Department, was arrested at his residence located in the Nagar Naka area on Nahar Road by the Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar ACB unit.

An official revealed that a Range Forest Officer (RFO) had approached the ACB on July 29, filing a written complaint stating that Lakhmavad demanded a substantial bribe of ₹45 lakhs in exchange for facilitating the distribution of funds allocated for tree planting projects. The accused also promised not to forward a suspension proposal, to release two pending salary increments, and to halt inspections related to nursery development activities.

The investigation confirmed the bribe solicitation, leading to the preparation of a packet containing ₹5 lakhs in genuine currency and ₹40 lakhs in dummy notes to ensnare the accused. As soon as Lakhmavad accepted the packet, he was caught red-handed. A case under the Prevention of Corruption Act is being registered at the Shivajinagar police station, and formal arrest procedures will commence following the filing of the First Information Report (FIR).