Surat: The Surat Municipal Commissioner has ordered the immediate suspension of Vipul Ganeshwala, a Class I Executive Engineer in the Limbayat Zone, after he was booked by the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) in a ₹15 lakh bribery case. The action followed the registration of an FIR against Ganeshwala and his alleged middleman. Subsequent searches reportedly revealed assets disproportionate to his known sources of income.

The suspension follows startling findings by the ACB, including gold and silver ornaments worth approximately ₹55 lakh recovered from Ganeshwala’s bank locker. Investigators also seized ₹80,000 in cash from the office of his co-accused, Mohammed Ismail alias “Parwana” Jamilkhan Pathan, a local journalist associated with Nispak Gujarat Patrika. Both Ganeshwala and Pathan are currently absconding, and multiple police teams have been formed to trace them.

The case pertains to an alleged demand of ₹15 lakh to halt demolition action at Santosh Sub-Industrial Plot Nos. 134–135. According to the ACB, Pathan negotiated the bribe on behalf of Ganeshwala, initially demanding ₹21 lakh before settling at ₹15 lakh. On February 19, the ACB laid a trap at Pathan’s office, where he allegedly accepted the first instalment of ₹4 lakh. However, he reportedly sensed the trap and fled with the cash before he could be apprehended.

Further investigation has revealed that Ganeshwala allegedly owns six to seven houses and shops in Surat. The ACB has initiated proceedings to attach the properties as part of its probe into alleged criminal misconduct. This is not the first time his conduct has come under scrutiny. A local corporator had earlier filed complaints against him, which reportedly led to a formal reprimand by political leadership prior to the present case.

The ACB continues its search for the accused. The development has reportedly created unease among municipal officials. DeshGujarat