The Punjab Vigilance Bureau (VB), during its ongoing campaign against corruption in the state, has apprehended Gurdeep Singh, alias Sunny, a Data Entry Operator with the Municipal Corporation of Ludhiana, red handed while he was accepting a bribe of Rs. 10,000.
According to an official spokesperson for the VB, the arrest followed a formal complaint filed by Amandeep Singh Chandok, a resident of GTB Nagar, Ludhiana, and a recent candidate for the position of Sarpanch from village Shanti Vihar, Bhamian Kalan.
He further added that Chandok, who is a property advisor and builder, has approached the VB and alleged that Gurdeep Singh had demanded the bribe in his capacity as a nominating officer. The accused reportedly claimed to be working with the Returning Officer and asserted that his nomination papers contained deficiencies that could be overlooked for a bribe of Rs. 10,000.
Following negotiations, Gurdeep Singh agreed to an initial bribe of Rs. 5,000 for processing his nomination file and subsequently demanded an additional Rs. 10,000 to facilitate the submission of nomination files for his team contesting as panchayat members. The complainant further disclosed that Gurdeep Singh had also requested a larger bribe of Rs. 50,000, allegedly to ensure his election victory.
Recorded evidence, including calls from the accused’s mobile phone even after the election, was provided to the VB, prompting a swift investigation and the formation of a team to lay a trap. The VB spokesperson confirmed that the team successfully captured Gurdeep Singh while he was accepting the bribe of Rs 10000 from the complainant in the presence of two official witnesses.
A corruption case has been registered against the accused at the VB police station Ludhiana Range, and further investigation into the matter was under progress.