Punjab SC commission member arrested for bribery

The Punjab Vigilance Bureau has arrested a member of the Punjab State Scheduled Castes Commission for bribery, a spokesman said on Saturday.

Commission member, Babu Singh Panjawa was caught "red-handed" while accepting a bribe of Rs 50,000 from Major Singh, a resident of Barnala district and has been booked under the Prevention of Corruption Act.

The spokesman said that Panjawa had allegedly demanded Rs 5 lakh from Major Singh to dispose off a complaint filed by Gurjant Singh, who had submitted a written complaint to the State SC Commission against Major Singh for uttering castiest words to him and the same was being probed by Panjawa.

 

The spokesperson said the complainant approached the Vigilance Bureau and said that Panjawa was demanding Rs 5 lakh for giving a decision in his favour and a deal was settled at Rs 2.5 lakh.

Major Singh told the bureau that he has already paid Rs. 2.5 lakh to Panjawa on October 22 to exonerate him, but Panjawa demanded another Rs 50,000 to hand over a copy of verdict.

It was then that Major Singh complained to the Vigilance Bureau and a trap was laid. The vigilance team, during a search of the Toyota Innova vehicle of Panjawa also recovered a licenced .32 bore revolver with 16 rounds of ammunition. He was carrying the weapon in violation of prohibitory orders in force in Muktsar district and has been booked under Cr. PC, the spokesman added.

--IANS

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