Vigilance nabs PSPCL JE taking Rs 5K bribe

The Punjab Vigilance Bureau (VB) during its ongoing drive against corruption in the state, has apprehended Kuldeep Singh, Junior Engineer (JE), posted at the Punjab State Power Corporation Limited (PSPCL) office, Cheema Chowk, here, red-handed while accepting the second instalment of bribe amounting to Rs 5,000.

Disclosing this here on Tuesday, an official spokesperson for the state VB said the suspect had been arrested on a complaint lodged by Jaswinder Pal Singh, a resident of Ram Nagar, Shingar Road.

He said the complainant had approached the VB and alleged that the JE had demanded a bribe of Rs 36,000 for installing a new electricity meter at his tea stall and the deal was struck at Rs 15,000. The complainant said the suspect had already taken Rs 10,000 bribe as the first instalment but the meter had not been installed. He was demanding the remaining bribe money of Rs 5,000.

The spokesperson said after a preliminary inquiry on his complaint, a VB team from the Ludhiana unit laid a trap during which the JE had been caught red-handed from his office while accepting Rs 5,000 as the the second instalment of bribe from the complainant in the presence of two official witnesses.

A case under the Prevention of Corruption Act had been registered against the suspect at the VB police station, Ludhiana range. He would be produced in a competent court on Wednesday and further investigation in the case was under progress, he said.