Pune: Maharashtra State Electricity Distribution Company Limited (MSEDCL / Mahavitaran) Executive Engineer Bhausaheb Sawant was presented in court on Thursday (October 24). He was remanded to three-day police custody.
The Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) on Wednesday had arrested Bhausaheb Sawant while accepting a ₹2 lakh bribe.
Sawant had demanded a total of ₹5 lakh to expedite five pending files and approve the electricity load for a Distribution Point (DP) set up for a new building in Manjari. He was arrested while accepting the first installment.
The arrest followed a complaint lodged by an electrical contractor who had been handling the setup of the DP and power supply for five new buildings.
The contractor’s files were delayed by Sawant, who allegedly demanded ₹5 lakh to approve them. On Wednesday, the ACB arrested Sawant when he accepted the initial ₹2 lakh bribe.
Sawant was presented in court on Thursday, where the public prosecutor requested police custody for further investigation.
The prosecutor noted that Sawant holds a crucial position, and his voice samples need to be collected.
Investigators also aim to determine if he has sought bribes from others or obstructed additional projects.
They are also probing the possibility of accomplices involved in the bribery scheme. The court has granted Sawant three days of police custody to facilitate the ongoing investigation.
The Anti-Corruption Bureau officials have appealed to citizens to come forward and report incidents of bribe demands by public servants in government offices.
