Two officials from the City and Industrial Development Corporation (CIDCO) were arrested on Wednesday evening by the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) in Navi Mumbai on charges of accepting a bribe related to a land deal. Ramdas Jagtap, the Deputy District Magistrate and Chief Land Survey Officer of CIDCO's 22.5% scheme area near the airport, and his attendant, Haresh Sonwane, were taken into custody following a sting operation at the CIDCO office.

The case arose after a complainant alleged that Sonwane had demanded a bribe of ₹45,000 in exchange for approving the file related to the execution of a land agreement for a plot in the 22.5% CIDCO scheme. Following negotiations, the amount was settled at ₹22,500. The complainant then reported the matter to the Anti-Corruption Bureau, prompting a trap to be set up.

As Sonwane accepted ₹22,500 from the complainant, the ACB team caught him red-handed. During interrogation, Sonwane revealed that the amount was intended for Ramdas Jagtap. Upon confirmation, the ACB apprehended Jagtap from his office. Both officials are now in custody awaiting further investigation.

The bribe pertained to the approval process of a land agreement file in CIDCO’s 22.5% residential development project near the airport, highlighting ongoing concerns over corruption in land allocation and approval in the region. The Anti-Corruption Bureau continues to investigate to determine the full extent of wrongdoing in the case.