Surat Anti Corruption Bureau arrested BJP municipal councillor Meena Rathod, her husband Dinesh Rathod and their accomplice Haresh Vaghmashi for accepting Rs 5 lakh bribe from a builder to provide NOC (No Objection Certificate), on the property which was earlier demolished by Limbayat Zone officials of Surat Municipal Corporation. The BJP Surat city unit has suspended the woman councillor and her husband from the party. As per details, a complainant who is resident of Godadara area in Limbayat had started the construction of a building in a residential society in Godadara. A few days ago, the SMC Limbayat zone officials reached the spot to examine documents like construction permit and others, which the builder had then failed to produce. On failing to provide the required documents, the SMC officials carried out the demolition. The builder since then was trying to find a way out to continue the construction and came in contact with Dinesh Rathod and his wife Meenaben, BJP municipal corporator from Godadara ward no. 25 of SMC. The couple had then asked him to meet at their office in Godadara area to get the work done. The complainant then visited the office of Meenaben Rathod, where he was instructed by an assistant to put his mobile phone outside the chamber. After meeting the couple at their office, the complainant put forward his issue and requested Meenaben for help. The couple assured him about providing the NOC from the Limbayat Zone office and an undertaking that no demolition work would be carried out. In return, the couple demanded for Rs five lakh. The builder also tried bargaining, but they did not relent. On probing the complainant found that the demolition had been done at the behest of Meenaben and her husband by SMC Limbayat Zone officials. The complainant decided to teach them a lesson and contacted Surat ACB office on Wednesday evening. The ACB officials registered his complaint. Acting on a plan, the complainant called up Dinesh Rathod, on Thursday evening and told him, that he had arranged the money. The accused instructed him to wait at Roopsagar society in Godadara area on Thursday night with the amount. Following the instruction, complainant waited and a car appeared on the spot. The complainant identified Dinesh Rathod, and told him that the amount was ready. Dinesh told him to give the bribe amount to his accomplice identified as Haresh Vaghmashi. Complainant handed the bribe amount and alighted from the car. The ACB officials who were monitoring the incident on plain clothes immediately swung into action and stopped the car. The cops then arrested Dinesh Rathod and his accomplice and another team went to Meenaben's residence. The ACB officials took statements of Meenaben Rathod, her husband Dinesh Rathod and Haresh and later arrested them for their involvement in the crime. The ACB cops had arrested Meenaben Rathod at 5 am on Friday while Dinesh and Haresh were arrested on Thursday night. Dinesh is also an active BJP worker and also runs his own construction firm. Sources said that the couple used to collect information about the construction activities going on in their area, through RTI and later extort money. Surat city BJP general secretary Madansinh Atodariya said, “We were shocked after learning about this incident and for that, we have taken strict actions against Meenaben and her husband and suspended them from the party for an indefinite period. Meenaben was with BJP since long but this is for the first time we had given her ticket in last municipal elections. We don’t want to allow such practices to be done by any of the BJP leaders or workers.” Talking to the Indian Express, Surat ACB PI C M Jadeja said, “We have carefully carried out entire operation secretly and got success in it. We have got enough evidence against all the three accused persons in this case. We will still carry out further investigations in relation to their financial transactions and other. We have sealed their four bank lockers. We will investigate their source of income and the income they have gained through illegal means.”
