19-year-old held for Rs 30k bribe on behalf of mother

Surat: The Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) on Friday arrested a 19-year-old college student for allegedly accepting a bribe of Rs 30,000 on behalf of his mother, Rupal Tailor, a senior accountant with the agriculture division of Surat District Panchayat.

Officials said the trap was laid following a complaint regarding the alleged demand of illegal gratification for clearing pending Transport Allowance (TA) and Leave Travel Concession (LTC) bills of employees for the years 2022 to 2024.

According to the ACB, Tailor, a Class 3 officer, had allegedly demanded Rs 1,500 each from 33 employees for TA bills and Rs 1,000 each from 13 employees for LTC bills, taking the total alleged demand to Rs 62,500.

As part of the trap, the complainant informed Tailor that Rs 30,000 had been arranged. He was then instructed to reach a location near Omkar Heights on Ugat-Bhesan Road in Jahangirabad.

Investigators said Tailor allegedly sent her son, Jeel Tailor, a BCA student, to collect the money while she remained at a nearby residence. ACB officials caught him on a public road while allegedly accepting the bribe amount.

Following his arrest, ACB teams also reached Tailor’s residence, where she was found and detained for further procedure. She will be formally arrested after completion of legal formalities.

The operation was carried out by police inspector K J Dhaduk under the supervision of assistant director R R Chaudhary, ACB Surat.