21 April,2026 07:53 PM IST | Mumbai | Abhitash Singh
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In a major anti-corruption crackdown, the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) on Tuesday, April 21, arrested Navi Mumbai Municipal Corporation (NMMC) Deputy Commissioner Dr Kailas Somanath Gaikwad for allegedly accepting a bribe of Rs 42,000 inside his office at the NMMC headquarters in CBD-Belapur.
According to ACB officials, the accused - a Class I officer attached to the encroachment department - had allegedly demanded the bribe to clear a pending bill of Rs 21 lakh related to work carried out in Airoli between November 15, 2024, and February 15, 2025.
The complainant, a subcontractor, approached the ACB after Gaikwad allegedly sought a 2 per cent "commission" to approve the payment. Acting on the complaint, the agency laid a trap and caught the officer red-handed while accepting the money on the third floor of the NMMC headquarters.
The ACB verified the complaint before organising the sting operation. The complainant was instructed to hand over marked currency notes, following which officials moved in and apprehended Gaikwad on the spot.
The arrest has sent shockwaves through the NMMC administration, raising serious concerns about corruption within the civic setup. Officials were seen scrambling after news of the arrest spread across the headquarters.
Gaikwad has been taken into custody, and further investigation is underway to determine whether other officials are involved or if similar demands were made in other cases.
