ACB Nabs Municipal Commissioner, Fire Officer, and Home Guard in Bribery Cases

The Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) shook the state of Rajasthan with a string of large-scale actions ahead of Diwali. In a span of 24 hours, the Kota team of ACB caught three government officials red-handed while accepting bribes at two locations in Baran district. They are the Municipal Council Commissioner, Assistant Fire Officer, and a Home Guard officer. In both instances, the ACB have booked cases under the Prevention of Corruption Act and ordered further investigation.

According to reports, on Saturday, the Kota ACB team conducted a major raid in the Baran Municipal Council, catching the Municipal Council Commissioner and Assistant Fire Officer red-handed while accepting a bribe of ₹2.5 lakh. This action was carried out under the supervision of Additional Superintendent of Police Vijay Swarnkar. Initial investigations revealed that the bribe was being taken in exchange for an action related to the Municipal Council. The ACB team seized the money from the spot and detained both officers. Interrogation of the accused is ongoing to thoroughly investigate the corruption network.

A day earlier, the ACB team had also conducted an operation within the Home Guard department, arresting Platoon Commander Gajendra Singh and Home Guard Akhtar Hussain for accepting bribes. According to the complaint, the two accused were demanding a bribe of four thousand rupees in exchange for assignment and threatened to strip them of their duties if they did not pay. The ACB verified the complaint and, through a plan, trapped the two while accepting a bribe of four thousand rupees.

These two consecutive major ACB actions have demoralized corrupt individuals in the state. This campaign before Diwali clearly signals that action against corruption will be even more stringent. In both cases, the ACB has registered cases under the Prevention of Corruption Act and initiated further investigation.