Guj: Fire officer held after aide took Rs 5 lakh bribe for speedy issuance of fire safety NOC

A fire officer was arrested on Saturday for allegedly accepting a bribe of Rs 5 lakh through his accomplice for the speedy issuance of a fire safety NOC for two buildings in Gandhinagar, the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) said.

The accused Mahesh Mod, who is also the incharge deputy director of the Gujarat State Fire Prevention Service (GSFPS), allegedly demanded a bribe of Rs 5 lakh for expeditiously approving a fire safety plan for two buildings and issuing fire safety NOC to the complainant, the ACB said in a release.

The GSFPS is an agency set up to strengthen the fire safety framework in Gujarat. After complaining to the ACB, the complainant met Mod at his office in Gandhinagar. He was told to meet one Kamal Gadhvi and hand him over the bribe money, the ACB said.

Gadhvi, who was sitting in a car parked outside Mod's office, was nabbed immediately after he accepted the money.

Mod and Gadhvi were arrested under the Prevention of Corruption Act. Further investigation is underway.