Panchayat secy caught taking Rs 15,000 bribe

The Punjab Vigilance Bureau (VB), during its continued efforts to combat corruption, on Tuesday arrested Parmjit Singh, a panchayat secretary from village Jhall Bimbri in Kapurthala district, for demanding and accepting a bribe of Rs 15,000. However, the co-accused in the case, Hardyal Singh, Block Development and Panchayat Officer (BDPO) of Kapurthala, managed to flee the scene.

An official spokesperson for the Punjab VB said the arrest was made following a complaint filed by a resident of village Jhall Bimbri. The complainant alleged that both BDPO and panchayat secretary had demanded a bribe of Rs 20,000 in exchange for issuing a bank cheque to pay the construction costs of a street.

He further added that after conducting a preliminary inquiry, a VB team laid a trap, leading to the arrest of the panchayat secretary while he was accepting Rs 15,000 from the complainant in the presence of two official witnesses. The BDPO, however, escaped before he could be apprehended.

The spokesperson added that a case under the Prevention of Corruption Act had been registered against both accused. The arrested secretary would be presented before a court tomorrow. Further investigation into the case was under progress, he said.