In line with the zero-tolerance policy against corruption adopted by the Punjab government under Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann, the Punjab Vigilance Bureau (VB) has arrested Jatinder Singh, a stenographer posted in the office of the Sub-Divisional Magistrate (SDM) Raikot, Ludhiana district, for accepting a bribe amounting to ₹24,06,000, said an official statement on Friday.
The Vigilance Bureau disclosed that the arrest followed a complaint filed by a resident of village Sukhana, tehsil Raikot, district Ludhiana. The complainant alleged that the SDM Raikot and his stenographer Jatinder Singh, a resident of village Nurpura in Tehsil Jagraon, were extorting large sums of money from the public in return for performing official duties.
“Acting on this information, a VB team questioned the accused, Jatinder Singh. A search of his office led to the recovery of ₹24.06 lakh in cash from an almirah. The accused failed to provide any satisfactory explanation for the possession of this cash, leading to his arrest,” the spokesperson added.
A case under the Prevention of Corruption Act has been registered at the Vigilance Bureau Police Station, Ludhiana Range. Further investigation is currently underway.