The Punjab Vigilance Bureau (VB) during its ongoing campaign against corruption in the state on Wednesday nabbed Sukhminder Singh Hira, PFS, posted as regional manager, Punjab Forest department at Philour, Jalandhar district red handed while accepting a bribe of Rs 30,000.
Disclosing this here today a spokesperson of the state VB informed that the said official has been arrested on a complaint lodged by forest contractor Balkar Singh, a resident of village Kalas Kalan, Ludhiana district.
He further added that the complainant has approached the economic offences wing (EOW) VB Ludhiana and alleged that the above said forest official has demanded Rs 35,000 as a commission out of cutting of trees under a tender allotted to his firm.
The complainant informed that said Sukhminder Singh has threatened that no such tender would be allotted to him in future if this commission was not paid. The complainant further alleged that he didn't want to pay the bribe but due to compelling reasons the said forest official has already taken Rs 5,000 as a first instalment and demanding the remaining amount.
The spokesperson further added that after a preliminary investigation of this complaint a VB team from EOW Ludhiana laid a trap and nabbed the above said forest official while accepting a bribe of Rs 30,000 from the complainant in the presence of two officials witnesses. In this regard a case under prevention of corruption act has been registered against the accused at EOW VB police station Ludhiana. Further investigation in this case was under progress.