Pune: Pune Anti-Corruption Department on Wednesday, apprehended a 25-year-old lawyer Sumit Namdevrao Gaikwad, a resident of Sevagiri Niwas, Ambegaon Plateau, for accepting a bribe from a distressed woman. The arrest came after a 25-year-old woman filed a complaint with the Pune Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB), leading to a meticulous operation carried out on Wednesday (10th).
The complaint revealed that the lawyer, Adv Sumit Gaikwad, took advantage of personal problems faced by the complainant, whose two friends were taken to Shastri Nagar police chowki in Kothrud. Gaikwad allegedly demanded a hefty sum of Rs 5 lakh, stating that he could negotiate with the police to prevent any case against the complainant and her friends.
During the operation, the ACB team, following verifications on January 3rd, 4th, and 8th, discovered that Gaikwad had already extracted a total of Rs 1 lakh 55 thousand from the complainant and an additional Rs 55 thousand through a phone payment from the complainant’s friends. The complainant promptly reported the extortion to the Pune ACB.
Upon further investigation, it was found that Sumit Gaikwad had demanded an exorbitant bribe of Rs 3.5 lakh before a Panchayat to secure the release of the complainant and her friend from Kothrud police custody. This bribe was aimed at preventing any charges from being filed against them. Out of the total amount demanded, Rs 20,000 was transferred to Gaikwad’s account via phone payment, solidifying the evidence against him.
Sumit Gaikwad now faces charges under Section 7(A) of the Prevention of Corruption Act, as registered at the Kothrud Police Station. The operation, conducted under the guidance of Superintendent of Police Amol Tambe and Additional Superintendent of Police Sheetal Janve, involved a dedicated team led by Deputy Superintendent of Police Vijaymala Pawar, Police Inspector Atul Bhosale, Assistant Police Faujdar Mukund Ayachit, and Police Enforcement Officers Shilpa Tupe and Vanita Gore. The drivers Avinash Chavan and Deepak Kakade also played crucial roles in the successful execution of the operation.
