AHMEADBAD: The Gujarat Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) has caught two serving CID Crime officers red-handed for demanding and accepting a Rs 30 lakh bribe to derail a sensitive investigation linked to a call centre case, raising serious questions about the misuse of authority within the State’s crime investigation machinery.
According to officials, the ACB arrested CID Crime Police Inspector P.K. Patel of the Gandhinagar Zone and Armed Police Constable Vipul Desai after laying a trap following a complaint that the officers were seeking money in exchange for shielding the complainant and an associate from legal action.
What began as a routine probe into a call centre–linked case turned into an extortion attempt, with the accused officers approaching the complainant while the investigation was underway.
Investigators said the pressure escalated gradually, with repeated demands and implicit threats. The alleged message was clear, pay Rs 30 lakh or face legal consequences.
Instead of complying, the complainant approached the ACB and lodged a formal complaint. The bureau then carried out verification and surveillance before planning a trap operation.
The operation culminated on a public road near an under-construction site in Sargasan, in Gandhinagar district. Officials said the location was deliberately chosen to catch the alleged offence in progress.
Armed Constable Vipul Desai met the complainant at the spot and accepted the Rs 30 lakh bribe, while Inspector P.K. Patel had consented to and orchestrated the transaction from behind the scenes.
ACB teams moved in immediately after the alleged exchange, recovered the cash and took both officers into custody.
“This is a clear case of criminal conspiracy and misuse of official power,” an ACB official said.
“The accused officers implicitly threatened the complainant, demanded an exorbitant bribe during an active investigation, and attempted to sabotage due legal process. Such acts strike at the very credibility of the police force and severely damage public trust,” said G.V. Padheriya, Assistant Director, ACB, Ahmedabad.
Officials maintained that the case against the accused is strong. “The demand, acceptance, and recovery of the Rs 30 lakh have all been documented during the trap operation. The joint involvement of both accused has been established beyond doubt,” the official added.
Both Patel and Desai have been booked under relevant sections of the Prevention of Corruption Act. The ACB has also widened the investigation to examine past cases handled by the duo to ascertain whether the alleged incident was an isolated one or part of a recurring pattern of extortion.
As the probe continues, officials said the arrests serve as a reminder that those entrusted with enforcing the law are also accountable under it.