ACB Gujarat nabs one for seeking ₹4.07 lakh bribe for PMAY house allotment

Ahmedabad: The Gujarat Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) on Wednesday caught a man red-handed while allegedly accepting a bribe of ₹4.07 lakh in Ahmedabad in connection with the alleged allotment of a house under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (PMAY).

According to the ACB, the complainant had earlier applied for a house under the PMAY scheme but had not received an allotment. He later came into contact with the accused, Sureshkumar Dashrathbhai Pandya, a resident of Harichandra Park in Pragatinagar, Naranpura.

The ACB alleged that Pandya claimed he could arrange a house allotment under the scheme through an arrangement or “setting”. The agency further stated that Pandya had earlier allegedly accepted ₹3,82,500 from the complainant.

In a separate instance, Pandya allegedly assured a witness that he could arrange a house under the same scheme and initially demanded ₹5,75,000. Following negotiations, the amount was allegedly settled at ₹4,07,500, the ACB said.

Unwilling to pay the demanded amount, the complainant and the witness approached the ACB. Acting on the complaint, the agency laid a trap on Wednesday, during which Pandya was allegedly caught red-handed while accepting ₹4,07,500.

The trap was conducted by D.B. Mehta, Police Inspector, ACB Field-3 (Intelligence Wing), Gujarat, Ahmedabad, along with his team. Further legal proceedings are underway. DeshGujarat