Vigilance Bureau arrests SHO, ASI for demanding Rs 1,50,000 bribe

Punjab News: The Punjab Vigilance Bureau (VB), during its ongoing campaign against corruption in the state, arrested a Sub-Inspector (SI) Raman Kumar, posted as Station House Officer (SHO) at Police Station Bulowal in Hoshiarpur district, along with his subordinate, Assistant Sub-Inspector (ASI) Gurdeep Singh, on Sunday for demanding a bribe of Rs 1,50,000.

An official spokesperson of the VB disclosed today that the arrests followed an inquiry into an online complaint filed by a resident of Asalpur village in Hoshiarpur district on the Chief Minister’s Anti-Corruption Action Line.

The complainant alleged that an FIR had been registered at the said police station against his nephew under the NDPS Act and the accused police personnel were threatening to implicate his son in the case under Section 29 of the same Act. According to the complaint, the ASI had initially demanded a bribe of Rs 1,50,000 on behalf of the SHO to spare his son from the case but after negotiations, the amount was reduced to Rs 1 lakh. The complainant recorded conversations between himself and the accused policemen in which they demanded the bribe and submitted the audio evidence to the VB.

The spokesperson further stated that after verifying the complaint by the VB Hoshiarpur unit and obtaining legal advice, a case had been registered against both accused under sections 7 and 7A of the Prevention of Corruption Act, Section 61(2) of the BNS and Section 59 of the NDPS Act at the VB Police Station in Jalandhar Range. “Both accused have been arrested and would be produced before the competent court tomorrow. Further investigation is underway, said Harpreet Singh Mander, SSP VB Jalandhar range.