Ahmedabad: The Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) on Friday arrested a deputy mamlatdar posted at the Gandhinagar Collector’s office for allegedly demanding a bribe of Rs 9.5 lakh, officials said.

The accused, Bipinchandra Parmar, a Class III employee working in the land allotment branch, was caught while allegedly accepting Rs 4.5 lakh as the first instalment. A retired peon, Dinesh Valand, was also arrested in connection with the case.

According to ACB officials, the action followed a complaint filed by a citizen who had applied for a property card for a house at the Collectorate’s land allotment office. During the probe, Parmar allegedly demanded money in exchange for giving a favourable opinion on the file and overlooking deficiencies in the documents.

As per the investigation, Valand, acting on Parmar’s instructions, allegedly sought a total bribe of Rs 9.5 lakh from the complainant, including an advance payment of Rs 4.5 lakh. After the complainant approached the ACB, a trap was laid on Friday.

During the operation, the accused allegedly interacted with the complainant and accepted Rs 4.5 lakh. The trap was executed near the Gandhinagar court parking area, where the money was handed over inside the complainant’s vehicle parked along the roadside. Officials confirmed that the entire amount was recovered and both accused were apprehended on the spot. DeshGujarat