Banaskantha: The Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) on Tuesday trapped and arrested a man for allegedly accepting a bribe of Rs 1.10 lakh in connection with granting permission to excavate soil from a village pond in Deesa taluka of Banaskantha district.

The accused, identified as Bride Suraji Solanki, husband of the sarpanch of Dharpada Gram Panchayat, was caught red-handed while allegedly accepting the bribe amount on a public road near Dhuwa Chowkdi in Juna Deesa. The entire bribe amount of Rs 1.10 lakh was recovered during the trap.

According to the ACB, the complainant required soil from the Dharpada Gram Panchayat area and had approached the panchayat for the necessary permission. After the panchayat passed a resolution and forwarded the matter to the Irrigation Department, Solanki allegedly demanded Rs 1.10 lakh from the complainant to facilitate excavation of soil from the village pond.

Unwilling to pay the bribe, the complainant approached the Banaskantha ACB and lodged a complaint. Based on the complaint, ACB officials laid a trap during which the accused allegedly accepted the bribe and was apprehended on the spot.

Further investigation is underway. DeshGujarat