Chandigarh [India], August 11 : The Punjab Vigilance Bureau (VB), during its ongoing crusade against corruption in the state, has been able to apprehend 10 officials red-handed while accepting bribes in eight different trap cases during July, an official said in a statement.
Disclosing this here on Monday, an official spokesperson of the state VB said that the department has put up its best efforts to eradicate corruption amongst public servants and others in every sphere during the period.
He informed that the Bureau had submitted challans pertaining to 28 vigilance cases in various competent courts in the last month. Apart from this, six vigilance enquiries have also been registered to thoroughly probe the corruption cases. He added that eight criminal cases were also registered against 13 accused, which include nine government employees.
Giving more details, he added that different competent courts had decided five bribery cases filed and contested by the Bureau during the last month, in which seven persons were convicted and sentenced ranging from two years to five years imprisonment and a fine from Rs 10,000 to Rs 1,00,000.
Earlier, on July 23, the Punjab Vigilance Bureau (VB), in its ongoing relentless drive against corruption in the state, had arrested an Assistant Sub Inspector (ASI) Jagtar Singh, posted at Police Station Sadar, Sangrur, red-handed while he was accepting a bribe of Rs 12,000, officials said.
According to an official spokesperson of the state, the accused police official has been arrested following a complaint filed by a resident of Sangrur district.
He further added that the complainant had approached the VB, alleging that the high court had granted him bail, but the said ASI had demanded a Rs 15,000 bribe to join him in the investigation into this case.
In addition to this, he had demanded Rs 20,000 more to return the equipment confiscated from his house during the search. The spokesperson informed that, after verifying this complaint, a VB team from the Patiala range laid a trap and apprehended ASI Jagtar Singh while he was accepting Rs 12,000 as a bribe from the complainant in the presence of two official witnesses.
In this regard, a case was registered against the accused under the relevant provisions of the Prevention of Corruption Act at the VB police station, Patiala range. Further investigation into this case was in progress, he added.