Rajasthan ACB arrest PWD engineer, two contractors; bribe worth Rs 4.04 lakh recovered

JAIPUR: In a major anti-corruption operation, the Rajasthan Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) has arrested a Public Works Department (PWD) Executive Engineer along with two contractors while allegedly exchanging a bribe of Rs 4,04,000 in Bhilwara, officials said.

The accused Shahzad Mohammad, posted as Executive Engineer in PWD at Shahpura, was apprehended along with contractors Moduram Dhakad and Banwarilal during a trap operation conducted by the ACB's Bhilwara-I unit, officials added on Tuesday.

The arrests were made at the Collectorate premises while the bribe money was being exchanged.

According to ACB officials, the bribe was allegedly collected from contractors as a quid pro quo for clearing and facilitating payments related to works executed under the department.

Investigators said the amount was intended not only for the Executive Engineer but also for another senior official.

Director General of Police (ACB) Govind Gupta said that the action followed specific intelligence inputs regarding ongoing corrupt practices within the PWD.

Based on these inputs, the ACB placed the suspects under surveillance, which confirmed the alleged irregularities.

Acting on the findings, a trap operation was carried out under the supervision of DIG (ACB Ajmer Range) Narayan Togas.