ACB traps police inspector, aide in ₹2 lakh bribery case linked to ‘love jihad’ in Vadodara

The Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) on Friday trapped a police inspector and a private individual in Vadodara district for allegedly demanding and accepting a bribe of ₹2 lakh from a complainant to stall legal action in a case purportedly linked to ‘love jihad’.

The accused have been identified as Police Inspector V A Charan, posted at Padra Police Station, and Sajidali Ghulamrasul Saiyed (39), a resident of Chanasad village in Padra taluka. While Saiyed was caught red-handed accepting the bribe, the police inspector was not present at the spot at the time of the trap, officials said.

According to the ACB, the case stems from an altercation on April 9, following which the complainant and witnesses were taken to Padra Police Station and preventive action was initiated against them. During this process, Inspector Charan allegedly told the complainant that the matter could attract serious charges, including those related to ‘love jihad’, and suggested that further legal action could be avoided if they contacted Saiyed.

Subsequently, Saiyed, allegedly acting in connivance with the police officer, initially demanded ₹6 lakh from the complainant. Following negotiations, the amount was reduced to ₹2 lakh.

The complainant, unwilling to pay the bribe, approached the ACB Vadodara unit and lodged a formal complaint. Acting on the information, a trap was laid on April 16 at around 3.50 pm near Akshar Chowk in Vadodara, in the presence of independent witnesses.

During the operation, Saiyed accepted the bribe amount of ₹2 lakh from the complainant and was immediately apprehended by ACB officials. The entire cash was recovered from his possession. Investigators said Saiyed had also communicated with Inspector Charan to confirm receipt of the money.

Officials added that Inspector Charan had allegedly orchestrated the demand through Saiyed to avoid direct involvement. Efforts are under way to trace and apprehend the police officer, who was found absent at the time of the raid.

The trap was executed under the supervision of B S Patel, Assistant Director, ACB Vadodara unit and his team. 

A case has been registered under relevant provisions of the Prevention of Corruption Act, and further investigation is in progress, officials said.