A government official in Thane, Maharashtra, has been arrested by the Anti-Corruption Bureau for allegedly soliciting a bribe to expedite the release of crucial land records, highlighting ongoing efforts to combat corruption.
The Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) on Tuesday arrested a man working at a government office in Maharashtra's Thane district for allegedly taking Rs 5,000 bribe after he promised to provide land-related records in exchange, police said.
The accused has been identified as Nilesh Hanuman Pawar (35), a resident of Murbad taluka in the district, who worked at the talathi office at Ambivali in Kalyan, an official said.
The accused was caught red-handed while accepting the bribe amount during a trap laid by the anti-corruption agency, inspector Sharmila Patil of the ACB Thane unit said.
A landholder had sought certified copies of alteration records and related documents concerning his property. The application was later forwarded to the talathi office in Ambivali, she said.
On February 17, 2026, when the complainant met Pawar at the office, the latter demanded Rs 5,000 to get the old record and forward the file to the tehsildar's office without delay.
Following the complaint, the ACB conducted a verification and then laid a trap. The team arrested Pawar while taking the money, Patil said, adding that a case was registered against the accused and further investigation is underway.