ACB nabs deputy collector, office superintendent accepting ₹3 lakh bribe in Palanpur

Gandhinagar’s Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) sleuths nabbed a deputy collector and his accomplice in Palanpur for accepting a bribe of ₹3 lakh on Tuesday. 

The accused, Imran Khan Bismillah Khan Nagori, planning assistant (in-charge office superintendent), and Ankita Ojha, deputy collector, both posted at the Stamp Duty Assessment Authority Office, District Seva Sadan-2, were caught red-handed by Gandhinagar ACB while taking the bribe.

They had allegedly reduced the stamp duty for an unauthorised construction without proper payment and expedited issuance of a challan. The incident has caused a stir in the administrative system. The ACB registered a case against both officers and initiated an investigation.  

In Palanpur and other parts of Banaskantha, some corrupt officers and employees seem to be exploiting innocent citizens by demanding hefty bribes for their work. 

However, due to the vigilance of some alert citizens, such corrupt officials occasionally fall into the ACB’s trap.  

An applicant had constructed two houses on two plots without paying stamp duty. To reduce the stamp duty and expedite the challan for the reduced amount, Khan, a Class-3 planning assistant (in-charge office superintendent) working at the Stamp Duty Valuation Office in Zorawar Palace Seva Sadan-2, Palanpur, instructed the deputy collector of the Stamp Duty Valuation Office, Ojha, to demand a bribe of ₹1.50 lakh per house, totalling ₹3 lakh.  

Since the applicant was unwilling to pay the bribe, they contacted the ACB. Police Inspector H B Chavda from Gandhinagar ACB conducted a raid with his team at the Palanpur Stamp Duty Office. 

During the operation, Khan accepted the bribe from the applicant and handed it over to Ojha in her chamber. At that moment, the ACB team caught both corrupt officers red-handed, causing an uproar in the administrative system.  

The ACB had been receiving complaints and allegations against these officers for the past two months. Instead of ensuring benefits to the government’s funds, they were misusing their power and authority for personal gains.