BJP leader arrested in six-year-old corruption case

In an embarrassment to the Bharatiya Janata Party in Saurashtra, party leader Hasmukh Gambhva has been arrested by the Jamnagar Anti-Corruption Bureau...

In an embarrassment to the Bharatiya Janata Party in Saurashtra, party leader Hasmukh Gambhva has been arrested by the Jamnagar Anti-Corruption Bureau ACB on charges of corruption filed against him six years ago while he was the director of the Jamnagar District Cooperative Bank.

Also a member of the working committee of the Aamaran-based Aadarsh cooperative society, Gambhva is accused of having duping the state government of Rs 28.94 lakh after producing fraudulent documents. Besides, he was also found to have involved in corruption in the 2001 earthquake relief schemes.

Gambhva was arrested on Wednesday and sent behind bars. ACB Inspector Jamnagar J J Dhranga said: 8220;He was produced before the court and has now been sent in judicial custody in the Jamnagar Jail.8221;

Apparently, Gambhva had fought a by-election from the Jodiya-Dhrol Assembly constituency on a BJP ticket and

lost it.

The Jamnagar ACB police said, Gambhva, a resident of Aamaran village, faces corruption charges in two cases no. 09/ 2002 and 04/2003 under Sections 120B, 196, 197, 198, 199, 407, 417, 419, 465, 468 and 471 of the Indian penal code and under Sections 13 1 C and 133 of the Prevention of Corruption Act.

ACB officers said, after the 2001 earthquake, Gambhava and his associates withdrew subsidy amount, loans and compensation amount, provided to shopkeepers by the state government as part of the earthquake relief scheme.

Besides, he had also produced fake transportation bills for removing debris from earthquake hit areas. Gambhva was found to have played a pivotal role in these corrupt practices, they said.

Story continues below this ad

On being asked, why Gambhva was being arrested now though cases were registered against him in 2002 and 2003, Dhranga said the investigation was under progress till now.