Patan: The Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) caught a Talati-cum-Minister red-handed while accepting a bribe of ₹70,000. The accused, Hamirbhai Raisangbhai Thakor, was posted at Dudakha Gram Panchayat in Sami taluka of Patan district.

According to the ACB, the complainant, a contractor, required soil for his work. When he approached the accused, Thakor allegedly demanded a bribe of ₹70,000 in exchange for passing a resolution in the Gram Panchayat to grant permission for excavation and lifting of soil from a pond.

Unwilling to pay the bribe, the complainant approached the ACB. Based on the complaint, a trap was laid. During the operation, the accused engaged in a conversation with the complainant, accepted the bribe amount, and was caught on the spot by ACB officials. Further investigation is underway. DeshGujarat