Pastor seeks bribe, held with Rs 7 lakh cheque

A local pastor was arrested by Anti-Corruption Bureau today for allegedly accepting bribe of Rs 7 lakh for facilitating appointment of a youth as a teacher in a Godhra-based school run by the management of his church.
Simon Brainerd, a pastor attached to Centenary Methodist Church in Fatehgunj area here, was caught on the premises of the church when he was allegedly accepting a bearer's cheque of Rs 7 lakh from the complainant, Ishwarbhai Pateliya.
Brainerd had allegedly sought the illegal gratification to facilitate appointment of Pateliya's son Gerson as a teacher in the church-run high school.
"Brainerd is also a trustee and member of the selection committee of McCabe Memorial High School in Godhra, which is a government granted school and run by the church management. Gerson gave interview for the post of teacher in that school last December," said ACB Assistant Director P R Gehlot.

He said the ACB laid the trap on the complaint of Pateliya and arrested the pastor when the latter was accepting the cheque.
ACB police inspector Kalpesh Solanki said Brainerd has been booked under various sections of the Prevention of Corruption Act 1988.