Gujarat: Sarpanch, Husband Held For Accepting Bribe, Demanding iPhone

According to the ACB, the accused had demanded Rs 4 lakh in cash, two iPhones, three smartphones and some household items from the complainant, who recently received a contract for site development and to construct a boundary wall at IOCL's facility in Vadinar village of Devbhumi-Dwarka district.

The sarpanch of Vadinar village, Husainabanu Sandhar and her husband Abbas Sandhar demanded Rs 4 lakh and other items from the complainant for allowing him to start his work and not create hurdles in the future, the anti-graft agency said. Initially, the contractor and his business partner agreed to the demand and paid Rs 50,000 in cash, three smartphones and some household items to the village head and her husband, it said.

When the accused started demanding the remaining amount of Rs 3.5 lakh and two iPhones, the complainant said he will pay it in instalments and promised to give Rs 1.5 lakh to the accused at Rajkot on Wednesday and the high-end phones at a later date, said an ACB release.

The contractor then approached the ACB's Rajkot office and lodged a complaint. The ACB laid a trap at a hotel in Rajkot city and caught the couple while accepting Rs 1.5 lakh from the complainant, said the release.

With PTI inputs.