The Pune Anti-Corruption Bureau caught forest guard Jahir Siraj Sheikh while allegedly accepting ₹6,000 from a farmer in Malegaon on Sunday in connection with the transport and filling of soil at agricultural land in Korhale Khurd, according to information released by the agency and reported by Sakal.
Sheikh, 47, is a Class III forest guard and round officer attached to the Karanje round office under the Baramati forest range office. The ACB alleged that he had demanded ₹10,000 from the complainant to avoid obstructing work involving soil at the farmer’s four-hectare agricultural property.
The complaint stated that soil from the farm was being washed into the Nira river during the rains. Work was therefore under way to bring soil from the riverbed and place it on the agricultural land. According to the ACB, the forest guard allegedly demanded money to allow the work to continue and to assist with the soil-filling activity.
The complainant approached the ACB on 14 October 2026, alleging that ₹10,000 had been demanded. The complaint further stated that ₹4,000 had already been accepted and that the official was seeking the remaining ₹6,000.
The Pune ACB conducted a verification exercise on 23 October, based on the complaint. It subsequently laid a trap outside Hotel Shivkrupa, opposite the Industrial Training Institute in Malegaon, on Sunday. The agency said Sheikh accepted ₹6,000 from the complainant during the operation and was taken into custody.
The case was registered at Malegaon police station under Section 7 of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988. The provision applies to allegations involving a public servant accepting or attempting to obtain an undue advantage in connection with a public duty. The registration of the case records an allegation; guilt will be determined through the legal process.
The incident places attention on the administrative controls governing soil movement and land-related work in agricultural areas. Soil excavation, transport and filling can involve multiple permissions and enforcement responsibilities, particularly when activity is connected to a riverbed or may affect drainage and erosion. The supplied report does not specify which permission or departmental decision was required for the work, or whether the soil transport itself had received all necessary approvals.
The ACB said the action was carried out under the guidance of Pune ACB superintendent Shirish Sardeshpande and additional superintendent Ajit Patil. Police inspector Santosh Patil and other members of the agency’s team participated in the operation. The police case and further investigation will establish the circumstances of the alleged demand, the earlier payment and the official’s role in the soil-transport work.
