Gujarat ACB arrests two in ₹5 lakh bribe trap for sand extraction in Surendranagar
Synopsis
A vigilant citizen's refusal to pay ₹1,000 per truck for sand extraction permission led to the unravelling of an alleged bribery scheme at a Gujarat gram panchayat. The ACB's sting caught the sarpanch's husband accepting ₹5 lakh in cash — part of an original ₹6.3 lakh demand — with the deputy sarpanch arrested moments later after confirming the transaction by phone.
Key Takeaways
The Gujarat ACB arrested Sanjay Kamejaliya , 35, husband of the sarpanch of Untadi Gram Panchayat , and deputy sarpanch Sunil Katudiya , 27, on 21 July .
The accused allegedly demanded ₹6.3 lakh for sand extraction permission; the amount accepted and recovered was ₹5 lakh .
The initial demand was ₹1,000 per truck ; the complainant offered ₹100 per truck as a charitable donation, which was rejected.
Katudiya was apprehended after Kamejaliya allegedly called him to confirm receipt of the bribe money.
The arrests follow recent ACB operations in Bharuch district (₹1 lakh bribe, three police personnel) and another Surendranagar case involving a ₹2,000 bribe at a hospital.
The Gujarat Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) has arrested two individuals — the husband of the sarpanch of Untadi Gram Panchayat and the village's deputy sarpanch — after allegedly catching them accepting a ₹5 lakh bribe linked to permission for sand extraction in Surendranagar district on 21 July. The operation was triggered by a complaint from a vigilant citizen who refused to pay the demanded sum.
How the Trap Was Laid
The ACB set up the sting at the compound of Premvati Bhojanalay, near the Limbdi highway crossroads, where the first accused, Sanjay Kamejaliya, 35 — identified as the husband of the sarpanch of Untadi Gram Panchayat — was allegedly caught in the act of accepting ₹5 lakh in cash from the complainant. The entire amount was recovered by the bureau.
The second accused, Sunil Katudiya, 27, the deputy sarpanch of the same gram panchayat, arrived at the location after Kamejaliya allegedly telephoned him to confirm receipt of the cash. Katudiya was apprehended on the spot.
The Bribe Demand and Negotiation
According to the ACB, Kamejaliya initially demanded ₹1,000 per truck to allow the complainant to extract sand from a designated site in Untadi village. The complainant offered to contribute ₹100 per truck as a charitable donation to the village instead — an offer the accused allegedly rejected.
The accused subsequently pressed for a lump-sum payment of ₹6.3 lakh. After negotiation, the demand was allegedly reduced to ₹5 lakh, which the complainant refused to pay and instead approached the Surendranagar ACB. During the pre-arranged sting operation, Kamejaliya held the agreed conversation with the complainant and accepted the cash.
Charges and ACB's Position
The ACB alleged that both accused misused their positions as public servants and acted in concert to commit the alleged offence. Katudiya, as deputy sarpanch, was accused of leveraging his official standing to facilitate the demand. The bureau noted that the original demand stood at ₹6.3 lakh, while the amount accepted and recovered was ₹5 lakh.
Pattern of ACB Operations in Gujarat
The arrests are part of a broader wave of ACB actions across Gujarat. Last week, the bureau trapped three police personnel in Bharuch district after they allegedly accepted ₹1 lakh as part of a ₹3 lakh demand for returning a mobile phone seized in a prohibition case.
In a separate recent case, the Surendranagar ACB arrested a hospital peon and a security supervisor who allegedly accepted a ₹2,000 bribe from a security guard in exchange for overlooking attendance-related issues. The latest operation underscores the bureau's sustained focus on local-level corruption in the state.
Point of View
Not a one-off demand. What warrants scrutiny is the structural gap: gram panchayat officials wielding discretionary power over natural resource extraction with minimal oversight. The ACB's string of recent successes across Surendranagar and Bharuch is commendable, but reactive sting operations address symptoms rather than the systemic absence of transparent, auditable permission processes for sand mining in Gujarat.
NationPress
22 Jul 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Who was arrested by the Gujarat ACB in the Surendranagar bribery case?
The Gujarat ACB arrested Sanjay Kamejaliya, 35, husband of the sarpanch of Untadi Gram Panchayat, and Sunil Katudiya, 27, the village's deputy sarpanch, on 21 July. Both are accused of demanding and accepting a bribe for granting permission for sand extraction.
How much bribe was demanded and how much was recovered?
The accused allegedly demanded ₹6.3 lakh in total, which was negotiated down to ₹5 lakh. The ACB recovered the full ₹5 lakh that was accepted by Kamejaliya during the sting operation.
What was the bribe for?
The bribe was allegedly sought in exchange for allowing a complainant to extract sand from a designated site in Untadi village, Surendranagar district. The initial demand was ₹1,000 per truck of sand extracted.
How did the ACB catch the accused?
A vigilant citizen who refused to pay the bribe approached the Surendranagar ACB, which organised a sting. Kamejaliya was caught accepting ₹5 lakh in cash at Premvati Bhojanalay near the Limbdi highway crossroads. He then called Katudiya to confirm the transaction, after which Katudiya arrived and was also arrested.
Is this part of a wider ACB crackdown in Gujarat?
Yes, the arrests are part of a series of ACB operations across Gujarat. Recent cases include the trapping of three police personnel in Bharuch district over a ₹1 lakh bribe and the arrest of a hospital peon and security supervisor in Surendranagar for accepting a ₹2,000 bribe.
