Gujarat court rejects bail pleas of ex-chief fire officer Amit Dongre, aide in bribery case

Ahmedabad, Aug 26 (IANS) The Special Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) Court in Ahmedabad on Wednesday rejected the regular bail applications of Amitkumar Dongre, former Chief Fire Officer of the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation (AMC), and Bhavsinh Zala, who is accused of acting as an intermediary in the alleged bribery case involving fire safety clearances.

The two were arrested by the Gujarat ACB on August 7 in connection with an alleged demand and acceptance of Rs 36,000 for approving Fire Safety No-Objection Certificates (NOCs) for six buildings in Ahmedabad.

According to the ACB, Rs 6,000 was allegedly demanded for each NOC, with the applications having been submitted through the state government’s online portal.

The case came to light after a fire safety officer approached the ACB in Vadodara and complained about the alleged demand.

Following the complaint, the bureau laid a trap near Yash Equa Complex at Vijay Cross Roads in Ahmedabad’s Memnagar area, in the presence of government witnesses.

Zala was allegedly caught while accepting the Rs 36,000 from the complainant. The ACB subsequently arrested Dongre, alleging that Zala had acted on his instructions.

Investigators said a telephone conversation between the two during the trap indicated Dongre’s alleged involvement and consent regarding the amount.

The ACB has maintained that Zala demanded and accepted the money at Dongre’s instance. Dongre, 47, had been appointed Chief Fire Officer of the AMC in October 2024 and took charge of the city’s fire services in December that year.

Following his arrest, the civic body terminated his appointment with immediate effect. The investigation has also widened beyond the alleged transaction involving the six NOCs.

The ACB sought records of fire safety clearances issued during Dongre’s tenure to determine whether the alleged arrangement was limited to the six applications or extended to other cases.

Investigators have also been examining financial and communication records linked to the accused.

The latest rejection of the regular bail pleas means both accused will remain subject to the ongoing legal proceedings as the ACB continues its investigation into the alleged bribery.

–IANS

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