Palghar: Public Prosecutor Caught Accepting Bribe To Falsify Police Personnel’s Innocence Report

Palghar, 27th October 2023: In a shocking turn of events, Advocate Sunil Baburao Sawant, an Additional Sessions Court official in Palghar, was apprehended by the Anti-Corruption Department while accepting a bribe. The alleged bribe was intended to influence a report that would declare the innocence of certain police personnel in a case.

The case in question dates back to 2015, when a Palghar district police force employee holding the rank of constable was charged. However, in June 2023, the court acquitted the complainant in this case. Following this acquittal, the complainant sought a promotion within the Palghar District Police Force.

In response to this promotion request, the Superintendent’s Office reached out to the Additional Public Prosecutor (Government Advocate) in Palghar, requesting a report on the complainant’s acquittal. Shockingly, the Additional Public Prosecutor, Sawant, allegedly demanded a bribe of ten thousand rupees from the complainant to manipulate the report to favour the police personnel. After negotiations, the amount was reduced to seven thousand rupees.

In a swift operation coordinated by Deputy Superintendent Dayanand Gawde and Police Inspector Shirish Chaudhary, the Anti-Corruption Department set up a trap near the Martyr’s Memorial. As a result of this operation, the public prosecutor was caught red-handed while accepting the bribe. As per the report, Sunil Sawant had been serving as a public prosecutor in Palghar Court for the past seven years.