Gujarat ACB book Delhi Crime Branch ASI, two aides; ₹10 lakh bribe recovered

Ahmedabad: The Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) of Gujarat on Thursday arrested three persons, including an Assistant Sub-Inspector (ASI) of the Delhi Crime Branch, in a bribe case involving a sum of ₹10 lakh. The accused had allegedly demanded ₹1 crore to clear the complainant’s name, a visa consultant in Ahmedabad, from a criminal case and return his seized documents.

According to the ACB, the complainant was at the CG Road office of “Om Global Tours and Visa Consultant” on 29 July 2025 when a team from the Delhi Crime Branch conducted a raid. Officers seized two laptops, two printers, 17 passports, and personal documents including an Aadhaar card, PAN card, ATM card, driving licence, election card, cheque books, and ₹20,000 in cash. The complainant and the office owner were then taken to the Navrangpura Police Station, where they were made to sit outside.

During this time, ASI Shivkumar contacted his acquaintance Sanjay Patel, while the office owner called his friend Chitresh Sutaria. Both men arrived at the police station and facilitated the release of the complainant and the office owner. ASI Shivkumar then issued a notice instructing both individuals to appear in Delhi for statement recording. The seized documents and the complainant’s car were taken away by the team.

When the complainant later met ASI Shivkumar in Delhi, the officer allegedly demanded a bribe of ₹1 crore to ensure the complainant’s name was not added as an accused in the case and to return his seized documents. He further directed the complainant to negotiate the payment with accused Sutaria and Patel.

Despite persistent demands, the complainant was unable to arrange the money. Subsequently, the Delhi Crime Branch named him as a co-accused in the case, declared him a fugitive, and filed a chargesheet—without mentioning the seized documents.

The trio later reduced their demand to ₹80 lakh, insisting on ₹10 lakh as an advance payment and the remaining amount after the complainant’s name was cleared and his original documents were returned.

Not willing to pay the bribe, the complainant approached the ACB and lodged a formal complaint. A trap was set, and during the operation, accused Chitresh Sutaria was caught red-handed accepting ₹10 lakh on behalf of the group. DeshGujarat