Vigilance Bureau arrests official for taking Rs 40,000 bribe

The state Vigilance Bureau today caught Tilak Raj, a resident of Nagrota Bagwan, Kangra, red-handed while demanding and accepting a bribe of Rs 40,000 for giving a favourable inspection report with regard to a lease hold land of the industry department.

He is currently working as Economic Investigator, Single Window Clearance Agency (SWCA) Department of Industry at Sansarpur Terrace (Kangra).

The complainant, Prabhakaran, resident of Barwara, Kangra, in a complaint to the Vigilance Bureau alleged that Tilak Raj demanded Rs 40,000 from him for a favourable inspection report.

The officials laid a trap and caught Tilak Raj red-handed while accepting the bribe. As per the standard procedure, the VB took two witnesses (gazetted officers) who also testified that Raj took the bribe.

A criminal case under Section 7 of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988 (Amended in 2018), has been registered against him at the police station of the State Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Bureau, Kangra, Dharamsala, on Thursday.

The officials of the VB revealed that the alleged accused official will be produced before a judicial court tomorrow. Further, investigations were in progress.