Checkpost scam: ACB arrests another accused

AHMEDABAD: Gujarat Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) arrested Ramji Chavda, a former project officer with Gujarat Info-Petro Ltd (GIPL), in connection with a multi-crore scam detected in checkposts across the state. ACB had earlier arrested GIPL’s CEO V K Sharma and auditor Ashok Chhajer in the same case. Chavda had secured anticipatory bail, and thus he was released after being arrested and questioned on Saturday.
“Chavda’s name had surfaced during the investigation as he was closely associated with Vipul Patel, the primary accused in the scam, and emerged as the man who had helped in illegal recruitment that took place through outsourcing at checkposts across the state.He was also a member of the committee that approved Patel’s firm for the outsourcing contract,” said an ACB official.
Officials said that they are yet to probe whether Chavda received any monetary benefits from the scam, and whether he was working with other accused in the case. “Chavda’s financial records would be checked,” said the official.
ACB had unearthed the scam in February this year, and had arrested eight persons. They found an organized racket which siphoned off around Rs6 crore annually, by fudging figures and not depositing money collected at checkposts to the government.