Archive · 13 Aug 2026
Ahmedabad fire officer's remand extended in bribery case
A person who used to work for the city's fire department is accused of taking money to approve safety certificates.
His name is Amit Dongre, and he worked for the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation.
Police think he and another man, Bhavsinh Zala, asked for Rs 36,000 to approve fire safety papers for six buildings.
That is Rs 6,000 for each building's safety certificate.
Police set up a special trap to catch them on August 7.
They say Zala was caught holding the money when the trap happened.
The city fire department fired Dongre as soon as this happened.
Now the police want to look inside Dongre's bank locker in his hometown, Bhopal.
A court allowed them to keep him for four more days to do that.
Zala, the other man, has been sent to jail while the investigation continues.
The Anti-Corruption Bureau secured four more days' remand of Amit Dongre, former Probationary Chief Fire Officer of the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation, in an alleged Rs 36,000 bribery case.
The additional remand, granted by the Ahmedabad ACB court on Wednesday, will allow a search of Dongre's bank locker in his hometown of Bhopal.
The court approved a warrant against second accused Bhavsinh Zala, who has been sent to Sabarmati Central Jail.
The ACB laid a trap on August 7 after a Fire Safety Officer complained that a Rs 6,000-per-NOC bribe was demanded for approval of fire NOCs for six buildings.
Zala was allegedly caught accepting the money near Yash Equa Complex at Vijay Cross Roads in Memnagar, and Dongre's appointment was terminated by the AMC with immediate effect.
The ACB's preliminary findings indicated that Zala demanded and accepted the money at Dongre's instance, with Dongre giving consent over the telephone during the trap.
- Who
- Amit Dongre, 47, former Probationary Chief Fire Officer of the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation, and Bhavsinh Zala, 31, a private individual accused as the second accused.
- What
- Extension of Dongre's remand by four days and a court warrant against Zala in an alleged Rs 36,000 bribery case involving approval of fire safety NOCs for six buildings.
- When
- The additional remand was granted on Wednesday; the ACB laid its trap on August 7.
- Where
- Ahmedabad, Gujarat, with the proposed bank locker search in Dongre's hometown of Bhopal.
- Why
- Dongre and Zala allegedly demanded and accepted bribes for approving fire safety NOCs for six buildings.
- Alleged bribe amount
- Rs 36,000
- Bribe rate
- Rs 6,000 per NOC
- Number of NOCs
- 6
- First accused
- Amit Dongre, 47, former Probationary Chief Fire Officer, AMC
- Second accused
- Bhavsinh Zala, 31
- Trap date
- August 7
- Trap location
- Yash Equa Complex, Vijay Cross Roads, Memnagar, Ahmedabad
- Remand extension
- 4 more days for search of bank locker in Bhopal