Punjab Newsline,Chandigarh :
Case Registered Under Prevention of Corruption Act; Raids On to Arrest CIA In-Charge
The Punjab Vigilance Bureau (VB), as part of its ongoing anti-corruption drive across the state, has arrested Head Constable Ramesh Kumar, posted at CIA Khanna, red-handed while accepting a bribe of ₹5.20 lakh. The arrest was made following a well-planned trap laid by the Vigilance Bureau team after a complaint was verified.
Disclosing details, an official spokesperson of the Vigilance Bureau said the accused was apprehended on the basis of a complaint filed by a resident of Master Colony, Khanna, in Ludhiana district. The complainant, who is engaged in property dealing, alleged harassment and extortion by police officials.
According to the complaint, Head Constable Ramesh Kumar approached the complainant and accused him of being involved in gambling activities. He further claimed that CIA Khanna In-Charge Narpinderpal Singh had summoned the complainant. Despite denying any involvement in illegal activities, the complainant was pressured to meet the CIA In-Charge.
The spokesperson stated that when the complainant met CIA In-Charge Narpinderpal Singh at his office, he was accused of engaging in betting and illegal lottery operations. The CIA In-Charge allegedly demanded a bribe of ₹5 lakh through Head Constable Ramesh Kumar and threatened to register a false case and arrest the complainant if the money was not paid.
Under pressure, the complainant arranged ₹2.20 lakh and attempted to hand it over to Head Constable Ramesh Kumar at the residence of an acquaintance, Dinesh Kumar, in Khanna. However, the accused returned the amount, insisting that the full bribe amount of ₹5 lakh must be paid.
Later, during further conversations, the bribe amount was increased from ₹5 lakh to ₹5.20 lakh. Unwilling to pay the bribe, the complainant approached the Vigilance Bureau Unit, Hoshiarpur, and submitted a formal complaint. After conducting a preliminary enquiry and finding the allegations to be genuine, the Vigilance Bureau registered a case against CIA In-Charge Narpinderpal Singh and Head Constable Ramesh Kumar.
A trap was subsequently laid, during which Head Constable Ramesh Kumar was caught red-handed while accepting ₹5.20 lakh in bribe money from the complainant in the presence of two official witnesses.
The spokesperson further informed that multiple Vigilance Bureau teams have been constituted and raids are being conducted at the residence and other possible locations of CIA In-Charge Narpinderpal Singh to arrest him at the earliest.
In this connection, a case under the Prevention of Corruption Act has been registered at the Vigilance Bureau Police Station, Ludhiana. Further investigation into the matter is currently underway.