Upgrade to iPhone leads to Rajasthan official’s arrest in corruption case

Goyal also allegedly said that the bills given for labour, deployed by the complainant for PHED, were fake, and threatened to debar him; the complaint also said that Goyal claimed that the complainant has been working since long but hasn’t given him anything on the occasion of Holi or Diwali.

According to the complaint, Goyal had also been demanding an iPhone since August. The complainant said that in exchange for clearing his outstanding bills and for not harassing him further, Goyal demanded an iPhone as a bribe.

ACB’s Additional SP in Jhalawar, Prerna Shekhawat, told The Indian Express that Goyal had initially demanded iPhone 17 Pro as bribe but after the complainant said that he can’t afford it, Goyal had agreed to take iPhone 16 Pro instead, hoping to upgrade his personal phone from Samsung to an iPhone.

ACB officials said that the complaint was confidentially verified on January 7, where it was confirmed that the accused had indeed demanded an iPhone as a bribe. On Friday, the complainant approached Goyal in his office and gave him one of the older models, worth Rs 84,000, with a bill made in Goyal’s name as per his instructions. ACB officials said that for trap purposes, the ACB went with an older model instead, which was accepted by Goyal.

Goyal was then caught “red-handed” while accepting the mobile phone as bribe from the complainant.

ACB officials said that under the directions of ACB Additional Director General of Police, Smita Shrivastava, the accused was questioned and searches were conducted at his house. The searches revealed Rs 4.8 lakh cash, 7.7 kgs of silver, 62 grams of gold, five plots in Jaipur, one in Jodhpur, and a house in Kota. Officials said that the ACB will register a case under the Prevention of Corruption Act and conduct further investigation.