Anand: The Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) on Sunday trapped a police sub inspector of Khambhat city foraccepting a bribe Rs. 30,000 in connection with providing a police opinion on land-related applications.The accused is Pankajkumar Parshottambhai Patel, P.S.I., Class-3 from Khambhat City Police Station. The trap was carried out near Lal Darwaza Police Chowki.

According to ACB, the complainant and his partner owned land in Khambhat city and had allotted plots on it. As the land fell under the Ashant Dhara category, the landowner had applied to the Prant Office, Khambhat, seeking approval for the land transaction. The application was forwarded to the Khambhat City Police Station for police opinion, and the accused was assigned to examine the case and submit his report.

During discussions regarding two applications submitted for Ashant Dhara approval, the accused allegedly demanded Rs. 15,000 per application, totalling Rs. 30,000, for giving a favourable opinion. The complainant, unwilling to pay the bribe, approached the ACB office in Anand and lodged a complaint.

Based on the complaint, the ACB organised a trap on March 1. During the operation, the accused allegedly reiterated his demand and accepted Rs. 30,000 from the complainant. The ACB team immediately apprehended him and recovered the entire bribe amount from his possession.

The trap was conducted by Police Inspector M.L. Rajput of Anand ACB under the supervision of Assistant Director M.H. Puwar of the Ahmedabad Unit and Deputy Director Haresh Mewada of ACB Ahmedabad.

A case has been registered against the accused under the relevant provisions of the Prevention of Corruption Act for abuse of official position and criminal misconduct. Further investigation is in progress.