Ahmedabad: Watchman caught taking bribe for college trustee granted bail

Ahmedabad: The Gujarat high court granted bail to a watchman of a college who was caught accepting a bribe for a trustee of Ved Shree MM Patel College of Education in the Gulbai Tekra area earlier this month. The court said that he had no role to play in the principal conspiracy.Anti-corruption sleuths arrested Murlimanohar Jadola, the college watchman, while he was accepting a Rs 3 lakh bribe allegedly demanded by trustee Timir Amin from the former principal to clear retirement dues. The ACB booked both under the Prevention of Corruption Act.Jadola sought bail from the HC through lawyer Parthveer Charan, who submitted that considering the role attributed to him and the nature of the allegations against him, no useful purpose would be served by keeping him in jail for an indefinite period. The state govt opposed the bail plea.After hearing the arguments, Justice Nikhil Kariel stated that it was the trustee who was accused of demanding a bribe from the former principal to process his pension papers, and Jadola was caught taking the bribe upon the trustee's instruction. The court said, "Considering the position the applicant holds in the institution, i.e. of watchman, to this court, it would appear that he was strictly adhering to the instructions of the trustee and, whereas, he had no role to play in the principal conspiracy."The HC granted bail to Jadola on certain conditions and on furnishing a bond of Rs 5,000 and a surety of an equal amount.