Surat: A suspended Class I officer who served as executive engineer of the Surat Municipal Corporation (SMC) surrendered before the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) on Friday in a bribery case involving him and an aide who allegedly posed as a journalist.

ACB officials said the engineer, Vipul Ganeshwala, will be produced in court on Saturday to seek remand, while efforts continue to trace his absconding associate, Ismail Khan alias Parvana.

Ganeshwala is accused of demanding ₹15 lakh from a builder through Khan, who claimed to run a vernacular online portal. The case stems from the demolition of the unauthorised fifth and sixth floors of an industrial building at Santosh Industrial Estate in Anjana, Salabatpura, on November 13, 2025. The builder had also paid ₹1.70 lakh in demolition charges.

After the demolition, Khan allegedly approached the builder, promising to “manage” approval for the disputed floors. Acting on the complaint, the ACB laid a trap on February 20, during which Khan allegedly accepted ₹4 lakh but fled on the builder’s moped.

The engineer’s surrender ends a week-long search by the ACB. DeshGujarat