In a striking case of modern-day corruption, a senior Rajasthan government official's desire to upgrade to a new iPhone led to his dramatic arrest by the state's Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB). Vishnu Chand Goyal, a Superintending Engineer with the Public Health Engineering Department (PHED) in Jhalawar Circle, was caught red-handed on Friday, January 10, 2026, while accepting an iPhone as a bribe.
The Costly Demand for an iPhone
The chain of events began when a contractor, involved in hand pump and pipeline repair work for the PHED in Jhalawar, filed a formal complaint with the ACB on January 5, 2026. The complainant alleged persistent harassment by Goyal, who had already extracted Rs 25,000 as an unofficial "registration" fee. The engineer raised constant objections about the contractor's work, threatened termination, and falsely claimed labour bills were fabricated.
According to ACB officials, the extortion took a tech-savvy turn. Since August, Goyal had been demanding an iPhone in exchange for clearing the complainant's pending bills and ending the harassment. Initially, he asked for the latest iPhone 17 Pro. When the contractor pleaded financial inability, Goyal settled for an iPhone 16 Pro, aiming to switch from his personal Samsung device to an Apple smartphone.
The Sting Operation and Arrest
After confidentially verifying the complaint on January 7, 2026, the ACB, under the direction of Additional Director General of Police Smita Shrivastava, laid a trap. The complainant, acting on instructions, approached Goyal at his office with an older iPhone model worth approximately Rs 84,000. A bill was made in Goyal's name as he had instructed.
ACB personnel, acting on orders from the state headquarters, apprehended Goyal the moment he accepted the device. Additional Superintendent of Police Prerna Shekhawat confirmed the details, noting the accused was caught in the act. Following the arrest, the ACB conducted searches at Goyal's residence, unearthing assets far beyond his known sources of income.
Assets Uncovered and Legal Action
The raids revealed a significant cache of wealth. Officials seized Rs 4.8 lakh in cash, 7.7 kilograms of silver, 62 grams of gold, five plots in Jaipur, one plot in Jodhpur, and a house in Kota. The discovery of these substantial assets has widened the scope of the investigation beyond the immediate bribery charge.
The ACB, led by Director General Govind Gupta, stated that a case will be registered under the Prevention of Corruption Act. A thorough investigation is now underway to determine the full extent of the engineer's alleged corrupt activities and the provenance of the discovered assets. This case highlights the ACB's continued vigilance against corruption at all levels of the state administration.
