Punjab Vigilance nabs IAS officer Sanjay Popli for corruption

Jupinderjit Singh

Chandigarh, June 20

The Punjab Vigilance arrested IAS officer Sanjay Popli and his accomplice, a government official, on corruption charges on Monday night.

As per the FIR, Popli allegedly sought one per cent commission from the contractor of a Rs 7-crore sewerage project in Nawanshahr during the Congress government. The contractor paid Rs 3.5 lakh through Sanjeev Vats, a Superintendent-level official posted as secretary to the IAS officer, on January 12. The contractor video-recorded it.

Vigilance officials claimed Popli was seeking remaining Rs 3.5 lakh from the contractor, who recorded his phone calls and complained on the anti-corruption helpline. The officer was arrested from his Sector 20 house in Chandigarh. Co-accused Vats was arrested from Jalandhar. Popli headed the Water Supply and Sewerage Board earlier.