Gujarat ACB nabs scribe in bribery case

Navsari: A scribe was caught accepting a bribe of Rs 51,000 in Navsari on Monday after allegedly demanding the money from a complainant in exchange for not publishing news reports against him, the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) said.

The accused, Satshankar Ramcharitra Mishra alias Munnabhai, is a ‘journalist’ associated with Rudra Sandesh Press in Navsari.

According to the ACB, the complainant alleged that irregularities had taken place in government-approved works. Mishra had reportedly published a news report about the matter and also sought records related to the works under the Right to Information (RTI) Act.

Later, Mishra allegedly demanded a bribe of Rs 51,000 from the complainant in exchange for not publishing news reports against him and for “settling” the matter.

The complainant then contacted the ACB through its toll-free number 1064 and approached the Navsari ACB office, where a complaint was registered. Based on the complaint, the ACB laid a trap on Monday.

During the operation, Mishra allegedly demanded and accepted the Rs 51,000 bribe, following which the ACB team caught him at the spot and recovered the entire amount.

The trap was carried out by N.B. Solanki, Police Inspector, Navsari ACB, along with other ACB personnel.

DeshGujarat