ACB Gujarat nabs Chief Fire Officer of Ahmeadabad in Bribe Case

Ahmedabad: The Gujarat Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) has arrested Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation’s Chief Fire Officer, Amitkumar Anandrao Dongre, in connection with an alleged bribery case involving the approval of fire safety No Objection Certificates (NOCs).

Dongre, a 47-year-old Class-I officer, was arrested along with 31-year-old Bhavsinh Pratapbhai Jhala, who allegedly acted as a middleman in the case. The alleged bribe amount was Rs 36,000.

According to the ACB, the complainant, who works as a Fire Safety Officer, had submitted proposals through the Gujarat government’s online portal seeking fire safety NOCs for six buildings in Ahmedabad.

The investigation alleges that Bhavsinh Jhala demanded Rs 6,000 per application, amounting to a total of Rs 36,000, in exchange for facilitating the approval of the six NOCs.

After the complainant approached the ACB Police Station in Vadodara City, a trap was organised in the presence of two independent government witnesses.

The trap was laid on a road near Yash Aqua Complex, close to Vijay Char Rasta in Ahmedabad. During the operation, Bhavsinh Jhala was allegedly caught while accepting the Rs 36,000 bribe.

The ACB stated that its preliminary investigation found that Chief Fire Officer Amitkumar Dongre had spoken to the middleman over the phone and had allegedly authorised the demand and acceptance of the bribe. Based on the evidence collected so far, the agency has concluded that the bribe was demanded and accepted at Dongre’s behest.

The trap was conducted by Police Inspector A.N. Prajapati of the ACB Police Station, Vadodara City.

Further investigation into the case is underway. DeshGujarat