The Punjab Vigilance Bureau (VB), as part of its ongoing drive against corruption in the state, has arrested Varinder Goyal, who was posted as Reader to the president, District Consumer Disputes Redressal Forum, Tarn Taran, while accepting a bribe of ₹50,000.
An official spokesperson of the VB disclosed on Wednesday that the accused was apprehended following a complaint filed by a resident of village Deo, in Tarn Taran district.
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The complainant informed the VB that her husband, an Assistant Sub-Inspector (ASI), had died in an accident in 2022. A compensation of ₹30,00,000 was approved by the Punjab Police Department and forwarded to HDFC Bank for disbursement.
However, the bank later refused to release the payment on flimsy grounds, prompting her to file a case with the District Consumer Disputes Redressal Forum, Tarn Taran.
According to the spokesperson, the accused had demanded a bribe of 10% of the compensation amount—₹3,00,000—in exchange for facilitating a favourable judgement. After verifying the complaint, the VB laid a trap and caught the accused red-handed while accepting the first instalment of ₹50,000 in the presence of two official witnesses.
A case under the Prevention of Corruption Act has been registered against the accused at the VB Police Station, Amritsar Range. He will be produced before the competent court tomorrow, and further investigation is underway, the spokesperson added.
