Bribe issue: Vigilance Bureau summons Gramin Bank’s records

Two days after an employee of the recovery agency was arrested for demanding Rs 2 lakh bribe, the Vigilance Bureau (VB) has sought the records of the Gramin Bank.

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The Vigilance Bureau has written to the bank for providing the records pertaining to the case and several officials of the bank would also be involved in investigations. The record is likely to be sent to the Vigilance Bureau in the next couple of days, said Senior Superintendent of Police, Vigilance, Lakhbir Singh.

He said several bank officials would also be quizzed during the probe.

The Punjab Vigilance Bureau (VB) had arrested Jatinder Pal Piplani, an employee of a recovery agency, attached with the Punjab Gramin Bank, for allegedly demanding and accepting a bribe of Rs 50,000.

According to vigilance sleuths, the accused had threatened the complainant, who resided in Chheharta area, that they would take possession of his house forcefully with the help of the police and demanded a bribe of Rs 200,000 on behalf of the bank manager for settling the case in his favour.

The Punjab Gramin Bank had declared his property a non-performing asset (NPA) due to the non-payment of house loan and the recovery file was assigned to the accused agent for recovery of the pending loan amount.

The complainant had alleged that the accused had already taken Rs 50,000 as the first instalment and now put pressure on him to pay the remaining amount of Rs 1,50,000 for the bank manager.

Investigations revealed that Piplani used to work with recovery agencies and it is likely that the Vigilance Bureau would probe these two agencies also.