AHMEDABAD: A routine solar-panel approval process has exploded into one of Gujarat’s most striking corruption cases. A Class-I officer of the Energy Department was allegedly caught accepting a Rs five lakh bribe for issuing an NOC.
Raids on his properties uncovered cash, gold, silver, and valuables worth more than Rs 2.64 crore, triggering a disproportionate assets probe by the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB).
The complaint over a delayed solar-panel approval quickly snowballed into a major corruption scandal, exposing a trail of suspected illicit wealth stretching across multiple cities in Gujarat.
The Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) has arrested Class-I officer A.B. Chaudhary, serving in the Electrical Inspection Office under the Gujarat Government's Energy Department, after allegedly catching him red-handed while accepting a Rs 5 lakh bribe in exchange for granting a No Objection Certificate (NOC) for a solar-panel project.
The case surfaced when an applicant approached the ACB with allegations that Chaudhary had demanded a hefty payoff to clear the approval process.
Acting swiftly on the complaint, ACB officials laid a carefully planned trap.
The operation culminated with investigators allegedly catching the officer while accepting the bribe amount, marking the first breakthrough in the case.
As officers moved in, they recovered the Rs five lakh bribe amount from Chaudhary's vehicle. However, investigators believed the cash seizure could be just the tip of the iceberg, prompting an extensive search operation across properties linked to the officer.
What followed dramatically escalated the case.
ACB teams launched simultaneous raids at locations connected to Chaudhary in Gandhinagar, Ahmedabad and Surat. The spotlight quickly turned to his upscale residence in Surat's Vesu area on VIP Road, where investigators began uncovering what they describe as substantial unexplained assets.
During the searches, officials recovered massive quantities of cash, along with gold and silver valuables, from houses and vehicles linked to the accused officer.
The findings transformed a bribery investigation into a full-fledged probe into alleged disproportionate assets. According to an official ACB press note, searches conducted at properties and vehicles in Gandhinagar and Surat resulted in the seizure of Rs 1,76,14,970 in cash. In addition, gold and silver bars and ornaments with an estimated value of Rs 88,82,910 were also recovered.
"A total amount of Rs 2,64,97,880 was found at three different locations. When questioned regarding the source of these assets, the officer failed to provide a satisfactory explanation," the ACB stated in its official communication.
Investigators also seized gift vouchers and cash worth approximately Rs 5.51 lakh during the operation, adding to the growing inventory of valuables recovered from the officer's possession. The sheer scale of the recoveries has now shifted the focus of the investigation beyond the original bribery allegation.
ACB officials are examining the source of the seized cash, precious metals and other assets, while scrutinising financial records and property documents linked to the accused.
Meanwhile, the bureau has formally registered a case against Chaudhary at the Gandhinagar ACB Police Station under Sections 13(1)(b) and 13(2) of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 2018.
"A case has been registered against the accused under Sections 13(1)(b) and 13(2) of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 2018," the ACB said in the press note.
With more than Rs 2.64 crore in cash, gold, silver and other valuables already seized, investigators are now widening the probe to determine if the assets were accumulated through corrupt practices. The probe is also on to identify if additional beneficiaries or financial links emerged.
