Pune, Jun 10 (IANS): The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) arrested an Additional Divisional Commissioner from Pune on Friday for allegedly demanding and accepting a bribe of Rs 8 lakh from a representative of farmers, promising assistance in land acquisition matters.

Searches were conducted at the official and residential premises of the accused at three locations in Pune, leading to the recovery of cash amounting to Rs 6 crore, property-related documents including 14 immovable properties in the name of the accused and his family, investment and bank account details, and other incriminating documents.

A senior CBI official said that a case was registered against Anil Ganpatrao Ramond, the Additional Divisional Commissioner.

The complainant was handling land acquisition-related cases of farmers from Satara and Solapur districts. The farmers from the villages were seeking higher compensation for their land, and the complainant was representing their cases to secure higher compensation before the office of Additional Divisional Commissioner and the Arbitrator for Satara, Pune, and Solapur districts, as per the National Highways Act.

The accused allegedly kept the complainant's cases pending, and when the complainant approached him in this regard, he demanded an undue advantage of 10 per cent of the increased compensation amount.

The accused demanded Rs 10 lakh from the complainant for the increased compensation of around Rs 1.25 crore and finally settled for Rs 8 lakh.

The CBI laid a trap and caught the accused red-handed while demanding and accepting the bribe, and will produced before the competent court at Shivajinagar, Pune (Maharashtra) on Saturday.