SDO arrested, VB searching other accused

Vigilance Bureau registers corruption case against SDO,  Agriculture Sub Inspector for taking Rs 15 lakh bribe during Panchayats elections

SDO arrested, VB searching other accused

Chandigarh, November 21, 2024 –

The Punjab Vigilance Bureau (VB), in line with the zero-tolerance policy against corruption adopted by the Punjab government led by Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann, has registered a corruption case against Gulab Singh, Sub Divisional Officer (SDO), Irrigation department Ferozepur, and Davinder Singh, Agricultural Sub-Inspector, Ferozpur for demanding and accepting a bribe of Rs 15,000,00. Both the accused were were Returning Officer (RO) and Assistant Returning Officer (ARO) respectively during the recently held Panchayats elections who had taken the bribe money from a candidate. In this case one of the main accused Gulab Singh, SDO has been arrested and VB teams searching for the other accused.

Disclosing this here today a spokesperson of the VB said this case has been registered against both the aforementioned public servants following an investigation into a complaint lodged by Gurpreet Singh, a farmer from village Mana Singh Wala, block Ghall Khurd, in Ferozpur on the Chief Minister’s Anti-Corruption Action Line.

He informed that during the investigation, it was found that the complainant, Gurpreet Singh had filed his nomination papers to contest election for the position of Sarpanch in the recently held Panchayats elections of 2024 from his village.

As per the complaint accused, S.D.O. Gulab Singh, being RO at block Ghall Khurd, had demanded and accepted a bribe of Rs. 10,00,000 from the complainant on 04.10.2024 in the presence of above said Davinder Singh, Sub-Inspector, Agriculture, who was deployed as ARO at block Ghall Khurd.

Additionally, on 05.10.2024, an unknown individual collected another Rs 5,00,000 on behalf of Gulab Singh, at a petrol pump, close to his residence on Baghi Road, Ferozepur. The complainant further alleged that despite paying the bribe his nomination papers for the Sarpanch position were rejected on 06.10.2024.

Subsequently, the aforementioned ARO Davinder Singh, contacted SDO Gulab Singh to return the bribe money. This conversation was recorded by Davinder Singh on mobile phone and sent it to the complainant, who in turn had provided it to the VB as an evidence.

He further informed that the recording had revealed that both the above mentioned accused Gulab Singh and Davinder Singh, had conspired to extort a bribe from the complainant in exchange for not rejecting his nomination papers.

The spokesperson added that based on these findings, a case has been registered against both the accused, Gulab Singh, S.D.O. and Davinder Singh, Sub-Inspector under Prevention of Corruption Act, at VB police station Ferozepur range. In this case accused SDO Gulab Singh has been arrested and the other accused would be arrested soon. Further investigation in this case was under progress, he said.

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