Sabarkantha: An operation by the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) has resulted in the arrest of a village official in Sabarkantha district on bribery charges.

Laxmanbhai Badhabhai Taral, the Deputy Sarpanch of Dharod Gram Panchayat, and Dashrathbhai Hamirbhai Bamaniya, an associate, were accused of demanding a bribe of ₹16,000 from a complainant. The complainant, a local contractor, had been awarded contracts for the construction of a water tank and a labor welfare center by the Gram Panchayat.

According to the ACB, the accused demanded the bribe as a 5% commission on the completed projects. The complainant, unwilling to pay the bribe, approached the ACB, leading to the trap.

On March 12, 2025, the ACB laid a trap near Megh village, where Taral was caught red-handed accepting the bribe of ₹16,000. Bamaniya was not present at the time of the trap.

T.M. Patel, Police Inspector of the Aravalli ACB Police Station, led the operation, which was supervised by A.K. Parmar, Assistant Director of the Gandhinagar ACB Unit. DeshGujarat