Maharashtra's Citizen-Facing Departments Top 2025 Corruption Charts
Startling data released by the Maharashtra Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) has pinpointed the state's Revenue, Land Records, and Registration departments as the epicenters of bribery and corruption for the year 2025. The police force closely followed, securing the second position in this disheartening ranking. This revelation comes during a period when the ACB made headlines by naming a serving additional sessions judge as an accused in a major bribery scandal.
By the Numbers: Departments with Highest Corruption Cases
According to the official data, which covers the period from January 1 to November 11, 2025, a staggering 155 officers from the combined Revenue, Land Records, and Registration departments were apprehended. The ACB caught these officials red-handed in various meticulously planned traps while they were allegedly accepting bribes.
A deeper look into the figures shows that the vast majority of these accused, 136 individuals, are non-gazetted, mid-level government employees classified as Class III officers. Furthermore, seven gazetted Class I officers were also among those trapped, indicating that corruption is not confined to the lower rungs of the administration.
The Police Department claimed the unenviable second spot, with 105 of its officials being formally booked in corruption cases. Of these, an overwhelming 99 are Class III officers, while four are Class I officers.
Other Departments and the Rationale Behind the List
The Panchayat Samiti departments across the state ranked third, with 60 officers being caught accepting bribes during this period. They were followed by the Maharashtra State Electricity Distribution Company Limited (MSEDCL), where 41 officers were apprehended by the anti-corruption agency.
An officer from the ACB, speaking on the condition of anonymity, provided context for these rankings. He explained that departments like Revenue, Land Records, and Police naturally figure more prominently because they have constant and direct interactions with a vast number of citizens. This high-frequency public interface provides corrupt officials with more opportunities to demand money for services.
"In terms of revenue, land records, and police, these are citizen-facing departments and are frequented by citizens which provides corrupt officials a chance to demand money to get their work done," the officer stated. He also highlighted a positive trend of increased public awareness, noting that more people are now approaching the ACB instead of succumbing to extortion.
A High-Profile Case Highlights Judicial Corruption
Adding a significant layer to the corruption landscape in Maharashtra, the Mumbai ACB unit made a rare move earlier this week by naming a serving additional sessions judge as a wanted accused in a corruption case. This action came hours after the arrest of his clerk-cum-typist, who was allegedly caught red-handed accepting a massive bribe of Rs 15 lakh at a coffee shop.
Investigations suggest that the alleged bribe was meant to influence the judge to pass a favorable judgment for a party involved in a civil court dispute over a plot of land valued at an estimated Rs 10 crore. This case has sent shockwaves through the state's judicial and administrative circles, underscoring the deep-rooted nature of the corruption problem.
