SDO, assistant nabbed for taking Rs 15K bribe

The Vigilance Bureau (VB) during its drive against corruption in the state on Monday apprehended SDO Neha Panchal and her assistant Naitak for demanding and accepting a bribe of Rs 15,000.

Disclosing this here today, a spokesperson for the state VB said the case was registered based on a complaint lodged by Sushil Kumar, a resident of Gagandeep Colony, Bhatian Bet, and working as a general manger in Pitamaas Private Limited Company, Ludhiana.

According to the complaint, the company was providing services as IEC consultant to the Ludhiana Smart City project, under MC Commissioner, Ludhiana, and the tender was allotted to the firm from October 1, 2023, to September 30, 2024. The complainant had approached the VB and informed that an annual bill totalling Rs 7,08,000 of the company, was submitted in the office of Smart City at the Municipal Corporation, Zone-D, here.

The complainant further alleged that when he visited the office of Neha Panchal, SDO, she demanded a bribe of Rs 15,000 or 2 per cent of the total amount for passing the bill and the complainant made recording of his conversation with the official.

The spokesperson said after verification of the allegations levelled in the complaint, a VB team laid a trap during which an assistant, Naitak, of the SDO was apprehended red-handed, who had been sent by her to collect the bribe money of Rs 15,000 from the complainant in the presence of two official witnesses. Thereafter, Neha Panchal was also arrested in the case.

SSP, Vigilance Bureau, Ravinderpal Singh Sandhu, said in this regard a case was registered against both suspects at the VB police station, Ludhiana range. Both suspects would be produced before the competent court on Tuesday and further investigation in the case was under progress.