Caught for ₹200: Gujarat ACB Traps Village Computer Operator over Petty Bribe in Sidhpur
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Summarized by AI; it may make mistakes. Check important info
The Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) in Gujarat caught a Village Computer Entrepreneur (VCE) red-handed at the Biliya Gram Panchayat office in Sidhpur taluka on Monday while accepting an illegal gratification of just ₹200 to issue routine government documents.
Acting on specific intelligence regarding systematic corruption targeting rural citizens, the ACB laid a targeted decoy trap against Mehulkumar Amratbhai Patel, 37, a resident of Darjivas in Biliya village.
Officials revealed that Patel had been routinely demanding unauthorized sums ranging from ₹50 to ₹1,000 over the prescribed legal fee of ₹20 for providing crucial public certificates—including income certificates, property assessment forms, and land revenue extracts (7/12 and 8A).
Caught Red-Handed Over a ₹200 Demand
To expose the extortion of local residents seeking basic administrative services, Patan ACB Police Inspector D.R. Gadhvi organized a precise decoy trap on August 3, 2026.
A civic-minded citizen stepped forward to act as the decoy applicant. The citizen visited the Biliya Gram Panchayat office requesting income and property assessment documents. Patel demanded ₹200 above the permissible administrative fee to print and issue the certificates.
The moment Patel accepted the ₹200 bribe, waiting ACB personnel swooped in, caught him on the spot, and recovered the marked currency from his possession.
The successful sting was carried out under the direct supervision of K.H. Gohil, Assistant Director of the Border ACB Unit in Bhuj, with overall operational oversight by Baldevsinh Vaghela, Deputy Director of the Rajkot ACB Unit.
Law enforcement officials confirmed that formal charges have been booked against Patel under relevant sections of the Prevention of Corruption Act. ACB officers emphasized that decoy operations and random checks will continue across panchayat and taluka hubs to crack down on petty bribery.
