VB ARRESTS TWO LUDHIANA DRO OFFICIALS AMONG FOUR FOR ACCEPTING BRIBE OF RS 30K

Chandigarh: Amidst the ongoing campaign against corruption in the state, Punjab Vigilance Bureau (VB) on Monday arrested four persons including two officials posted at DRO Office, Ludhiana and two private persons for accepting bribe of Rs 30,000 from a NRI in lieu of getting the compensation released against the land acquired by the National Highway Authority of India (NHAI).

Those arrested have been identified as Patwari Ram Singh and Clerk Naresh Kumar, both posted at DRO Office, Ludhiana and two employees of CEIGALL India Limited including Liaisoning Officer Harkirat Singh Bedi and Tehinder Singh. CEIGALL India Ltd has agreement with the NHAI.

Divulging details here today, an official spokesperson of the VB said that these accused have been arrested on the complaint of NRI Yadwinder Singh, a resident of Ghawaddi.

He further information that the complainant lodged a complaint at Police Station VB, Ludhiana Range that his 6 kanal agriculture land has been acquired for Delhi-Katra Express Highway and the compensation amounting to Rs 49 Lakh has been pending, for which, a file had been submitted to claim the compensation at the office of DRO Ludhiana on May 22, 2023.

The complainant said that about a month ago, NHAI has started demarcation and installed pillars at the land and when he raised an objection to first release the compensation for the land, a JCB driver gave him number of Mohinder, who further asked to contact Harkirat Bedi, in order to get the compensation. The latter assured to get the compensation released in 2-3 days from the DRO office but he has to pay Rs 40,000 and the deal was settled at Rs 30,000, he stated.

After preliminary investigation, the spokesperson said, a VB team laid a trap and arrested Harkirat Singh Bedi red handed while accepting a bribe of Rs 30,000 from the complainant in presence of Government Official at a Dhaba near Sahnewal. The VB has also arrested Tehinder Singh, who was accompanying the accused.

On disclosures of accused Harkirat Bedi, the VB has also arrested Patwari Ram Singh and Clerk Naresh Kumar for their connivance with the accused to get the file cleared. Both the accused officials had demanded a bribe of Rs 10,000 each from Harkirat Bedi. Pertinently, Ram Singh Patwari was retired in 2020 and the DRO has assigned his job on contract basis since 2020.

In this regard, a case has been registered under the various sections of Prevention of Corruption Act at Police Station Vigilance Bureau, Ludhiana Range.