CHANDIGARH: The Punjab Vigilance Bureau (VB) during its ongoing campaign against corruption in the state, has arrested Som Nath, an Assistant Lineman (ALM), posted at the Punjab State Power Corporation Limited (PSPCL) office in village Dagru, Moga district, red handed while he was accepting a bribe of Rs 10, 000.
An official spokesperson for the VB revealed that this arrest was made following a complaint lodged by Jagdeep Singh, a resident of Daudhar village in Moga district. According to the complaint, Jagdeep Singh and his partners are operating two Dhabas in the villages of Dagru and Nidhawala, where they had electricity bills pending totaling Rs 1.50 lakhs. Jagdeep Singh alleged to the VB that during a visit to their Dhaba, the Sub Divisional Officer (SDO) of PSPCL Dagru, Jarnail Singh, along with said ALM Som Nath, had previously taken a bribe of Rs 10, 000 to allow payment of pending bills in installments.
The complaint further stated that ALM Som Nath later returned to the Dhaba, disconnected the power supply, and only reconnected it after accepting Rs 1, 000 bribe, with the demand that the pending bills be cleared immediately. When the complainant requested the option to pay in installments, said ALM Som Nath had demanded a further Rs 13, 000, claiming that Rs 10, 000 would be passed on to the SDO, while he personally accepted Rs 3, 000 from the complainant. Jagdeep Singh recorded the conversation with the ALM while taking bribe money and provided the same to the VB as an evidence of these transactions.
The spokesperson informed that after conducting a preliminary inquiry, the VB Ferozepur range laid a trap, during which ALM Som Nath was apprehended while accepting a third bribe installment of Rs 10, 000 from the complainant in the presence of two official witnesses. In this regard a case has been registered against the said accused under the Prevention of Corruption Act at the VB police station in Ferozepur range. The spokesperson added that the role of said SDO Jarnail Singh would be further investigated during the further probe.