Man held for accepting Rs 30,000 bribe to help secure fire NOC from Rajkot civic body
Rajkot (PTI): A man has been arrested for allegedly accepting a Rs 30,000 bribe to get a fire NOC from the Rajkot civic body for a structure being erected for a property expo, officials said on Saturday.
The Anti-Corruption Bureau laid a trap and detained accused Kaushik Piprotar, a sales executive with a firm selling mechanical appliances for fire protection systems, as he accepted the bribe on Friday, the agency said in a release.
Piprotar had demanded the bribe to help the complainant secure a non-objection certificate (NOC) from the fire department of the Rajkot Municipal Corporation (RMC) for a temporary dome for ‘Property Expo 2024’, the ACB said.
“The accused got in touch with the complainant and claimed that he had contacts with officials in the Rajkot Fire Department. Piprotar said the complainant would have to pay Rs 30,000 over and above the official legal fees if he wanted the fire NOC,” the ACB said.
The accused also claimed that he would make “financial transactions” with officials in RMC's fire department and get the work done, ACB said.
“Since the complainant did not want to pay the bribe, he contacted the ACB. The accused was caught red-handed accepting the bribe of Rs 30,000,” said the anti-corruption agency, adding that a case has been registered under the Prevention of Corruption Act.
A little over two months ago, the then in-charge chief fire officer of RMC was caught by the ACB for accepting a bribe of Rs 1.8 lakh to issue a fire NOC to a building in the city.
Earlier, the RMC’s fire department had come under severe criticism after a massive blaze at a game zone killed 27 persons, including children, on May 25. It was found that the private recreation facility did not have a fire NOC.
Several RMC officials had been arrested in connection with the game zone tragedy.
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KSCA expresses disappointment over missing IPL playoffs, says it was ready to host matches in B’luru
Bengaluru: The Karnataka State Cricket Association (KSCA) has issued a clarification stating that it was fully prepared to host the IPL playoffs and final matches in Bengaluru but the fixtures were allotted to other venues.
In a media note, KSCA said it was disappointed with the decision. The association stated that its president, former India cricketer Venkatesh Prasad, had been in touch with the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) and had formally conveyed the association’s readiness and interest in hosting the matches at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium.
KSCA said the IPL matches held in Bengaluru this season were appreciated for smooth conduct, crowd management and overall experience for spectators. It said this reflected its ability to handle high-profile matches.
The association also stated that it had sent a detailed communication to the BCCI explaining its preparedness and the operational arrangements followed during the current IPL season. According to KSCA, these systems have been in place since the start of the Indian Premier League in 2008 and were followed consistently, including during previous playoff matches hosted in Bengaluru.
The clarification added that the communication sent to the BCCI was only meant to provide factual and operational details and to bring clarity on logistical and stakeholder-related requirements involved in hosting such matches.
KSCA said that although it had shown willingness and preparedness, the BCCI has decided to allocate the playoff matches to other venues. It added that the reasons for this decision have not been formally shared with the association, but it respects the authority of the board in taking such decisions.
The association further said it remains ready to host matches of national and international importance and will continue to cooperate with the BCCI, franchises, government authorities and other stakeholders for conducting cricket events.
The statement was issued by KSCA official spokesperson Vinay Mruthyunjaya, who also thanked the media and cricket fans for their continued support.
