ACB Gujarat nabs two while taking bribe via Google Pay; one accused absconding

Jamnagar: The Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) of Gujarat on Wednesday trapped two persons, including a sub-auditor posted at the District Registrar Cooperative Societies office in Jamnagar, in connection with an alleged ₹14,000 bribe demanded for renewing a moneylender (finance) licence. One government official is absconding, and efforts are underway to arrest him.

According to the ACB, the complainant had applied to the District Registrar Cooperative Societies, Jamnagar, for the renewal of his moneylender licence. During the process, accused Nileshbhai Jagdishchandra Chapiya, a resident of Jamnagar, allegedly demanded a bribe of ₹14,000 on behalf of M.N. Jethwa, Auditor Grade-I, and Digvijaygiri Bhupatgiri Gosai, Sub-Auditor (Cottage), District Registrar Cooperative Societies, Jamnagar.

The ACB said Jethwa had allegedly instructed the complainant to hand over the bribe amount to Chapiya. Based on the complaint, the ACB laid a trap on July 29.

During the operation, Chapiya allegedly asked the complainant to transfer the bribe amount online through Google Pay. The complainant transferred ₹14,000 to Chapiya’s account, after which he allegedly confirmed receipt of the money over the phone. The ACB said the amount was accepted on behalf of the two government officials in exchange for renewing the complainant’s licence.

Following the trap, the ACB caught Chapiya and Sub-Auditor Digvijaygiri Gosai, while Auditor M.N. Jethwa could not be found. ACB officials said efforts are underway to trace and arrest the absconding accused. DeshGujarat