Suspended IAS officer Pradeep Sharma arrested in graft case

Sharma had taken on Narendra Modi and Amit Shah in the snoopgate scandal

The Anti Corruption Bureau (ACB) on Tuesday arrested suspended Indian Administrative Officer (IAS) officer Pradeep Sharma, who took on Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP national president Amit Shah over the snoopgate scandal, in connection with a corruption case, police said.

“Pradeep Sharma was arrested on Tuesday morning for allegedly taking bribe and extending benefits to a private company when he was the Collector of Kutch in 2004 and resultantly causing loss to the state exchequer,” said, Ashish Bhatia, director (in-charge), Anti Corruption Bureau (ACB).

“He has been booked under Section 11 (public servant obtaining valuable gift from person concerned in proceedings or business transacted by such public servant), 13 (1)(D) (to obtain valuable things by corrupt or illegal means) and 13(2) (criminal misconduct by public servant) of the Prevention of Corruption Act (POCA),” said Bhatia.

Sharma’s arrest comes a day after Enforcement Directorate (ED) seized properties under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), including a piece of land in Dehgam village of Gandhinagar district and a bungalow in the state capital.

Sharma shot into limelight earlier this year when he sought a CBI probe into the alleged snooping on a woman architect after two investigative portals had released transcripts of purported telephonic conversations between Shah, who was then minister of state for home, and two top state police officials.

Sharma is facing six criminal corruption cases in Gujarat.