AHMEDABAD: Ahmedabad City Municipal Corporation’s Class-I Chief Fire Officer Amit Dongre and private intermediary Bhavsinh Jhala have been arrested by the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) for allegedly accepting a Rs 36,000 bribe to clear fire NOCs for six buildings.
The alleged bribery came to light after a citizen approached the ACB, claiming that Rs 6,000 was being demanded for each fire NOC. The applications had been submitted through the Gujarat government’s online portal, but the complainant was allegedly asked to pay the amount for the approvals.
The complainant lodged a written complaint with the ACB, following which the bureau verified the allegation and laid a trap.
On August 7, an ACB team, in the presence of two government panch witnesses, laid the trap near Yes Aqua Complex in Memnagar. As planned, the complainant handed over Rs 36,000 to Jhala. The ACB team then caught him allegedly accepting the money.
According to the ACB investigation, Jhala allegedly acted as an intermediary for Dongre and collected money in matters related to fire safety approvals. Investigators subsequently questioned Jhala about the transaction and allegedly found a link to Dongre.
The ACB then arrested Dongre, alleging that the Rs 36,000 was being collected on his behalf.
The arrests have brought the fire safety approval process of the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation under scrutiny, particularly the alleged use of a private intermediary in transactions related to fire NOCs.
Dongre was appointed Chief Fire Officer of the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation in October 2024 after clearing the municipal examination. His appointment was reportedly significant as he was the first officer from outside the civic body to be appointed to the post instead of an existing municipal employee being promoted.
The ACB is investigating whether the alleged Rs 36,000 demand for six NOCs was an isolated transaction or part of a wider system of collecting money for fire safety approvals.