Pune: Medical college dean arrested for accepting Rs 10 lakh bribe

Medical College Dean nabbed in bribery case involving Rs 10 lakh for MBBS admission.

Dr Ashish Srinath Banginwar (54), the Dean of Bharat Ratna Atal Bihari Vajpayee Medical College and Hospital, operated under the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) Medical Education Trust, has been apprehended by the anti-corruption bureau (ACB) in a bribery case.

The incident unfolded when Dr Banginwar was allegedly caught accepting a bribe of Rs 10 lakh, which was the first instalment of a total bribe amount of Rs 16 lakh. A case has been registered at Samarth Police Station.

According to the reports, the complaint originated from the father of a successful NEET 2023 candidate who secured admission through the Institutional Quota at Bharat Ratna Atal Bihari Vajpayee Medical College in Pune. The admission process brought the complainant in contact with Dr Banginwar, who purportedly demanded a bribe of Rs 16 lakh for securing admission, in addition to the prescribed fee of Rs 22.5 lakh per annum.

Upon refusal to comply with the bribe demand, the complainant reported the matter to the Pune unit of the Maharashtra ACB. A subsequent investigation confirmed the allegations that Dr Banginwar had solicited Rs 16 lakh as a bribe for facilitating the complainant’s son's admission to the MBBS program.

The pivotal moment occurred when an exchange of Rs 10 lakh took place within Dr Banginwar's office, marking the initial instalment of the bribe. The anti-corruption team promptly arrested him on the spot.