Pune engineers arrested, ₹1.2 crore seized for bribery

The Pune anti-corruption bureau seized cash and gold jewellery worth Rs1.2 crore from two engineers of the Pune Zilla Parishad arrested for bribery. The engineers allegedly demanded Rs1.4 lakh from a contractor to clear bills for road construction. Executive engineer Baburao Pawar had Rs50 lakh in cash, while junior engineer Anjali Bagade had 33 tolas of gold jewellery valued at Rs71 lakh. A deputy engineer's residence was searched, but no incriminating evidence was found. The engineers are in custody until March 16. An inquiry will determine the legality of their assets. The case began when a contractor reported the bribery demands after completing road work in 2024.