Was the ₹10 lakh bribe in Jalna the tip of a larger corruption network?

Jalna’s Municipal Commissioner Santosh Khandekar was arrested by ACB inside his office for accepting ₹10 lakh. The case points to deeper municipal corruption, with searches underway.

Jalna, October 17, 2025: In a dramatic sting operation, the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) arrested Santosh Khandekar, the newly appointed Municipal Commissioner of Jalna, while he was allegedly accepting ₹10 lakh in bribe. The arrest took place within the premises of the municipal office, raising immediate questions about the extent of corruption in local governance.

According to sources, Khandekar demanded the payment as the first installment from a contractor whose bid or contract execution he was overseeing. The ACB team, acting on a tip, was lying in wait and caught him in the act. Simultaneously, officers conducted a search at his residential premises, seizing documents and possibly financial records.

Investigators are now trying to trace whether this bribe is an isolated demand or part of a wider network, possibly involving multiple contractors and municipal projects.

Officials confirm that FIR(s) will be registered shortly. Khandekar’s role in the earlier municipal corporation and transition to the post after Jalna’s shift from municipality to municipal corporation is under scrutiny. Locals and activists have expressed shock and concern: how deep does the rot go in local bodies?

The ACB said it will conduct a thorough investigation, including examining bank trails, contractor correspondences, and departmental approvals. If findings extend beyond this one incident, several more officials may be implicated. The case is being closely watched across Maharashtra, as many see it as a test of anti-corruption agencies’ resolve.

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