Punjab Vigilance Bureau Nabs Batala SDM Taking ₹50,000 Bribe, Recovers ₹13.5 Lakh

Chandigarh: Punjab Vigilance Bureau (VB) on Saturday claimed to have arrested Vikramjeet Singh Panthey, Commissioner, Municipal Corporation, Batala-cum-Sub-Divisional Magistrate.

He was caught red-handed accepting a bribe of Rs 50,000 from the complainant. An unaccounted amount of Rs 13,50,000 was also recovered from him upon further search of the accused, said a VB spokesperson.

According to official information, the complainant of Batala town of Gurdaspur district who had got done patch work and repair work of roads at the Municipal Corporation Batala, for which two bills of Rs. 1,87,483/- and Rs 1,85,369 totalling amount of Rs 3,72,852 had been submitted for payment. In this regard, the Commissioner, Municipal Corporation, Batala, told him that in order to receive the said payment of bills, he will have to give 10% commission for clearing these bills as a bribe.

The spokesperson further said that complainant had also done some other works worth Rs 1,81,543 - hence a total amount to approximately Rs 5,54,395 was due for payment. He was told by the officials that orders of the Commissioner had to be followed and the complainant had to give a 9% commission as bribe to release the due amount.

Acting on complainant information, the VB laid a trap and apprehended Panthey red handed while accepting a bribe of Rs 50,000 from the complainant in the presence of two official witnesses.