Gujarat Anti Corruption Bureau filed 173 cases against 287 individuals during the year 2021.The biggest amount of corruption of Rs. 50 lacs in a single case in the history of ACB was also unearthed during the year. The biggest seizure of Rs. 2.28 crores and the biggest amount of corruption of Rs. 50 lacs in a single case in the history of ACB were also made during 2021.
It has also been noticed that most cases of corruption pertained to the home department with revenue department coming second and panchayat and rural housing department coming third. During 2021 when the country was witnessing worst pandemic of it’s kind and when the deadly second wave was ruling the roost, the government officials not only continued the corruption spree, but as the statistics suggest were more active at it.
Majority of government employees caught indulging in corruption are class III employees. The cases of disproportionate assets with income were of more importance for the ACB. It seized Rs. 56.62 crores assets in 11 such cases, which is Rs.6.51 crores more than previous year.
The traps set on the basis of 116 complaints received on Toll free number, only 25% were successful. However, conviction ration improved from 3% to 43%. 318 were charge sheeted in 2021.
Home department remained on top of corruption ranking with 74 accused. 49 cases were registered against them. Class III employees are 47 from them. In revenue department, 29 cases were registered against 45 officials of which 5 were from class I. In panchayat and rural housing department, 27 cases were registered against 48 accused.
The biggest case of Rs.50 lacs bribe involved (an assistant sub-inspector of Ahmedabad range police while he was allegedly accepting a bribe of Rs.50 lacs. ASI Prakash Sinh Raol, attached to the rapid response cell (RR cell), was caught red-handed accepting the bribe at a hotel on Vallabh Vidyanagar road in Anand.
The seizure of Rs. 2.28 crores involved Nipun Choksi, state project engineer, (class 2) with the Samagra Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA) office at Gandhinagar. Hey also recovered 300 grams of gold worth Rs 10 lakh from one of the lockers of accused.
