Gujarat : ACB uncovers Rs 172 Cr worth disproportionate assets of Government officials

AHMEDABAD,GUJARAT : The Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) has uncovered disproportionate assets worth Rs. 172.24 crore from 96 corrupt government officials over the past six and a half years. The assets, which include land, buildings, shops, farmhouses, jewelry, investments in the stock market, fixed deposits, and other financial instruments, were found to be accumulated through corruption. Among those implicated are a former Collector of Gandhinagar and a retired IAS officer.

According to ACB officials, investigations into disproportionate assets begin once a government official is caught accepting a bribe. The properties of these officials, along with their family members, are secretly investigated based on intelligence received by the ACB. If the assets exceed the legal income of the official, a case of disproportionate assets is registered, and the official is arrested.

The following table details the number of cases and the amount of disproportionate assets uncovered each year:

Year    Cases  Amount (in crores)

2018   12        3.49

2019   18       27.80

2020   38       50.11

2021   11       56.61

2022   5         4.42

2023   9         8.53

2024   3         21.14

Total   96       172.24

In 2021, the ACB caught the highest number of officials, with 38 cases amounting to Rs. 50.11 crore in disproportionate assets.

Among the notable cases, the Rajkot TRP Game Zone fire investigation revealed disproportionate assets worth Rs. 79.94 lakh from Deputy Fire Officer Bhikhabhai Jivabhai Theba. A case was registered against him, leading to his arrest.

Additionally, three police complaints were lodged in Gandhinagar against retired IAS and former Collector of Gandhinagar, SK Langa, regarding the conversion of agricultural land to non-agricultural land. The ACB’s investigation into his properties uncovered disproportionate assets worth Rs. 11.64 crore.