Gujarat constable accused of ‘making a deal’ with Rajasthan bootlegger arrested in Rajkot

DG Constable Sajan Ahir, an accused in a liquor smuggling case for allegedly accepting a bribe of ₹10 lakh from a bootlegger in Rajasthan to allow a truck carrying liquor worth ₹1.77 cr to pass through the Gujarat border, has been arrested by the State Monitoring Cell (SMC) in Rajkot. The arrested constable will now be transferred to Karjan police station.

A complaint was filed at the Karjan police station by a senior official following a phone call from the bootlegger, Anil Pandit, who claimed he had already paid the bribe but his liquor-laden truck was still not allowed to pass.

Following the call, it was revealed that Constable Ahir was involved in the case, and a formal complaint was lodged against him on Sunday. The SMC apprehended Ahir on Friday, and preparations are underway to transfer him from Rajkot to Vadodara.

After the truck was seized and the bootlegger’s call was traced, Ahir was somehow alerted. He had been missing since then and had switched off his phone last Wednesday. 

Investigations have revealed that Ahir was actively assisting bootlegger Pandit, against whom a case has already been registered under GUJCTOC (Gujarat Control of Terrorism and Organised Crime Act). Police are now considering adding GUJCTOC charges to Ahir’s case as well.

The SMC retrieved five audio clips from Ahir’s mobile phone. In two of the clips, it is mentioned how his tankers would not even get caught during raids.

It was also revealed that a bribe of ₹15 lakh was paid by the bootlegger to the police. Out of this, ₹10 lakh was sent to Junagadh but was reportedly returned by Ahir. The remaining ₹5 lakh, which was sent to Gandhinagar and collected by a man named Hardik, has not yet been traced. Investigations are ongoing to identify the recipient of the money.