Sarpanch’s husband seeks Rs. 50 lakh bribe; held by ACB in a trap with his aide

Vadgam: Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) has arrested two individuals, including the husband of a sarpanch, for allegedly demanding a bribe of Rs. 50 lakh.

The accused have been identified as Mukesh Kamrajbhai Chaudhary, husband of the sarpanch of Chhapi Gram Panchayat, and Pravin Narayanji Thakor, a borewell operator. The duo was apprehended while accepting a bribe of Rs. 15 lakh from the complainant, a vigilant citizen.
The incident took place on January 16, 2025, at the complainant’s office in Jyoti Nagar, Chapi.

The complainant had purchased a plot in the Chhapi C.I.D.C. area in an auction conducted by the TDO in 2019. However, due to subsequent applications and a revision petition filed by plot owners, the District Development Officer (DDO) of Banaskantha had canceled the auction. The plot owners then approached the Development Commissioner, Gandhinagar, who reversed the DDO’s order and ruled in favor of the plot owners.

Subsequently, the panchayat filed a writ petition in the High Court against the Development Commissioner’s order, seeking a stay. Despite the High Court not granting a stay, the panchayat demolished the construction carried out by the complainant on his plot and took possession of all plots, claiming ownership.

When the complainant approached Mukesh Chaudhary, the sarpanch’s husband, to withdraw the High Court petition and restore the ownership of the plots to the plot owners, Chaudhary demanded a bribe of Rs. 50 lakh. After negotiations, the amount was settled at Rs. 35 lakh, with an initial payment of Rs. 15 lakh to be made on the day of the incident.

However, the complainant approached the ACB. Based on the complaint, the ACB laid a trap and apprehended both the accused while accepting the bribe. DeshGujarat