Thane: The Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) on Tuesday arrested a senior official of the Maharashtra education board after he was caught taking a bribe of Rs 20,000 from a contractor in Navi Mumbai, officials said.

The accused, identified as Rajendra Manik Ahire (55), served as the deputy director and divisional chairman of the Maharashtra State Board of Secondary and Higher Secondary Education at the divisional board office in Vashi, it said.

He was apprehended during a trap laid by the ACB's Navi Mumbai unit around 1 pm, Deputy Superintendent of Police Dharmaraj Sonke said.

Manohar Laxman Pawar (50), who is in charge of the board's stores department, has also been booked in the case, but he has not been arrested so far, he said.

According to the ACB, the complainant, an electrical contractor, had been awarded a one-year contract for maintenance and repair of electrical equipment at the board's office. He submitted bills amounting to Rs 3,16,800 for the period between November 2025 and February 2026 for approval.

However, Ahire demanded a bribe of over Rs 22,000 from him for clearing the bills, following which the contractor lodged a complaint with the ACB on March 25. During verification, the ACB confirmed that Ahire had agreed to accept a reduced bribe amount of Rs 20,000 after negotiations.

The anti-graft agency then laid a trap on April 7 and Ahire was caught accepting the bribe amount from the complainant in his office, they said adding that he was later arrested.

A case was registered against the duo under relevant provisions of the Prevention of Corruption Act, and further investigation is underway, the ACB said.

This report was published from a syndicated wire feed. Apart from the headline, the EdexLive Desk has not edited the copy.