Senior PHED engineer held taking iphone as bribe in Jhalawar
ACB traps a public health engineering official for allegedly accepting an iPhone worth Rs 84,000 to clear bills and avoid action.
Last Updated:
Superintending Engineer, PHED Circle Jhalawar, was caught red-handed on Friday while receiving an Apple iPhone XR worth ₹Rs 84,000
Jaipur: The Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB), Rajasthan, has arrested a senior official of the Public Health Engineering Department (PHED) in Jhalawar for allegedly accepting a high-value smartphone as a bribe in exchange for clearing pending bills and shielding a contractor from departmental action.
The accused, Vishnu Chand Goyal, Superintending Engineer, PHED Circle Jhalawar, was caught red-handed on Friday while receiving an Apple iPhone XR worth Rs 84,000 from a complainant contractor. The trap was laid following a detailed verification of bribery demands.
According to ACB officials, the complainant had approached the bureau after alleging persistent harassment linked to handpump repair and pipeline leakage works executed under the PHED division. The contractor claimed earlier cash payments had already been made and that repeated threats of blacklisting and objections over labour bills were being used to extract further illegal gratification.
During confidential verification, ACB confirmed that the officer had demanded a premium iPhone in lieu of passing pending bills and ending alleged departmental pressure. Acting on this confirmation, the complainant was instructed to hand over the device during a planned operation.
The trap was conducted under the supervision of senior ACB officers from the Kota range. Following the arrest, interrogation and searches are underway to assess possible disproportionate assets and identify any wider corruption network.
A case under the Prevention of Corruption Act has been registered, and further investigation is in progress.
