SMC executive engineer suspended after ACB files bribe FIR

Surat: Vipul Ganeshwala, executive engineer of the South East Zone (Limbayat) of Surat Municipal Corporation (SMC), was suspended by municipal commissioner M Nagarajan on Saturday after an FIR was lodged against him by the anti-corruption bureau (ACB) for allegedly accepting a bribe of Rs 4 lakh. The suspension was enforced from Thursday night, when the ACB booked him. In his order, the commissioner noted that Ganeshwala was booked for the serious offence of accepting a bribe and had not reported for duty. A departmental inquiry was under consideration and in such circumstances, allowing him to continue in the administration was "not acceptable under any condition," the order stated. Ganeshwala was suspended in line with conduct and discipline guidelines and to ensure an impartial inquiry. Meanwhile, Ganeshwala kept out of the ACB's reach even two days after the FIR and trap, during which the ACB failed to apprehend either accused or recover the bribe money. On Ganeshwala's behalf, Mohammad Islam alias Parwana Pathan, editor of the daily Nispaksh Gujarat Patrika, allegedly accepted the bribe at his office in Shanti Nagar, near Raghukul Market in Salabatpura. During the search at Pathan's office, police recovered Rs 80,000 in cash. A search of Ganeshwala's properties led to the recovery of gold jewellery worth Rs 52 lakh from a bank locker. According to the complaint, Pathan demanded Rs 21 lakh on behalf of Ganeshwala to prevent the demolition of an unauthorized industrial unit belonging to the complainant. The demolition had initially begun but was halted after Ganeshwala reportedly collected Rs 1.7 lakh in charges. Pathan then met the complainant multiple times, offering to stop the demolition in exchange for a bribe of Rs 21 lakh. After negotiations, both sides agreed on Rs 15 lakh, with Rs 4 lakh to be paid on Feb 19 and the remaining on Feb 23. On Thursday, after the complainant handed Rs 4 lakh to Pathan at his office, the accused left on the complainant's scooter with the money, saying he would return in a few minutes. The ACB team waited for a signal from the complainant, who alerted officers nearly 20 minutes later when the accused did not come back. The ACB searched for both Ganeshwala and Pathan at their homes and other locations but did not find them. Police are now gathering details of their assets and expenditures as part of the ongoing investigation.