Surat: Sleuths of anti-corruption bureau (ACB) caught a technical assistant of hydraulic department of Surat Municipal Corporation (SMC) from Pal area while accepting a bribe of Rs57,000 from a contractor on Monday night. The class III employee is suspected to have accepted the money on behalf of a senior officer at a time when SMC officials are facing allegations of criminal negligence in Takshshila Arcade fire case. The accused was suspended soon after his arrest by SMC officers. The accused was produced in a court which remanded him in police custody for two days on Tuesday.
B L Patel, a resident of Bhatpore village, was nabbed by ACB sleuths for allegedly accepting bribe from the contractor at around 11pm. He asked the complainant to come near Marvella Business Hub in Pal and was caught the moment he accepted money. The trap was laid by B K Vanaar, police inspector, under supervision of N P Gohil, assistant director, ACB, Surat.
The complainant had provided machines on contract for 10 days to SMC to remove hyacinth in weir-cum-causeway in Tapi. He had been awarded contract of Rs7.5 lakh. After the work was completed, Patel told the complainant that he has shown increased hours of work due to which overall payment to him has increased. For this favour, Patel demanded money from him.
“The complainant is a farmer. He used to feel bad on noticing hyacinth in the river and wanted to do something to remove it. Hence, he started providing machines on rent but was upset over nexus of contractors with SMC officers. Hence, he approached ACB,” said an ACB officer.
The accused, posted in weir-cum-causeway division in Rander zone, recently completed 34 years of service with the civic body. ACB sleuths carried out a search at his residence too.
“SMC officials immediately suspended the accused when ACB informed them about his arrest. Police found moveable wealth worth Rs21 lakh from the house of the accused,” Gohil said.
B L Patel, a resident of Bhatpore village, was nabbed by ACB sleuths for allegedly accepting bribe from the contractor at around 11pm. He asked the complainant to come near Marvella Business Hub in Pal and was caught the moment he accepted money. The trap was laid by B K Vanaar, police inspector, under supervision of N P Gohil, assistant director, ACB, Surat.
The complainant had provided machines on contract for 10 days to SMC to remove hyacinth in weir-cum-causeway in Tapi. He had been awarded contract of Rs7.5 lakh. After the work was completed, Patel told the complainant that he has shown increased hours of work due to which overall payment to him has increased. For this favour, Patel demanded money from him.
“The complainant is a farmer. He used to feel bad on noticing hyacinth in the river and wanted to do something to remove it. Hence, he started providing machines on rent but was upset over nexus of contractors with SMC officers. Hence, he approached ACB,” said an ACB officer.
The accused, posted in weir-cum-causeway division in Rander zone, recently completed 34 years of service with the civic body. ACB sleuths carried out a search at his residence too.
“SMC officials immediately suspended the accused when ACB informed them about his arrest. Police found moveable wealth worth Rs21 lakh from the house of the accused,” Gohil said.
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