The Punjab Vigilance Bureau (VB) during its ongoing drive against corruption in the state, on Friday arrested Tarsem Singh, Fire Officer, Barnala red handed while he was accepting a bribe of Rs. 40,000. Disclosing this here today a spokesperson of the state VB informed that the said accused has been apprehended based on a complaint filed by Complainant Hardev Singh, a resident of Village Jharron, tehsil Sunam in Sangrur district.
He further added that the complainant had approached the VB and informed that he had purchased plot for construction of a hotel opposite grain market Barnala. For issuing the no objection certificate (NOC) from fire department, the accused was demanding a bribe of Rs. 50,000 but the deal was struck at Rs 40,000.
The spokesperson informed that after a preliminary inquiry of this complaint a VB team laid a trap during which the accused Fire Officer was arrested while he was accepting a bribe of Rs 40,000 from the complainant in presence of two official witnesses. In this regard a case has been registered against the accused under prevention of corruption act at VB police station Patiala range and further investigation into this case was under progress.