Surat Municipal Corporation Bribery Case Ends in 3-Year Jail Term

A special court hearing Anti-Corruption Bureau cases has sentenced former Surat Municipal Corporation junior engineer Rati Zaveri to three years in prison and imposed a Rs 1 lakh fine for demanding and accepting a Rs 20,000 bribe from a shop owner facing threatened demolition action.

The court convicted Zaveri in the case after examining prosecution evidence, witness testimonies and documentary records. The former engineer was posted in SMC’s Katargam zone when the alleged bribery took place in 2011.

According to the case records presented before the court, Zaveri visited the complainant’s grocery shop and alleged that the building had been constructed illegally on a reserved plot. He warned that the structure would be demolished. The complainant maintained that the property had been built with valid approvals and supporting documents.

The complainant then requested that demolition action not be initiated. The prosecution told the court that Zaveri demanded Rs 20,000 in exchange for stopping the proposed action. The complainant initially paid Rs 11,000 and later handed over smaller amounts, but Zaveri continued to demand the remaining Rs 7,000.