As part of its ongoing anti-corruption drive, the Punjab Vigilance Bureau (VB) has arrested Palwinder Singh, a Building Inspector with the Municipal Corporation of Bathinda, and Honey Munjal, an Architect from Bathinda, for accepting a bribe of Rs. 30,000.
An official spokesperson of the state VB revealed that the arrests were made following a complaint filed by Sandeep Singh, a resident of village Burj Mehma in Bathinda district.
He further explained that the complainant approached the VB and alleged that Inspector Palwinder Singh had demanded a bribe of Rs. 30,000 per file through the private architect to approve the plans for the complainant’s new colony in Bathinda. According to the complaint, the Inspector demanded Rs. 80,000 for three cases, threatening to raise objections on the files otherwise.
The spokesperson added that following a preliminary inquiry into the complaint, a Vigilance Bureau team from the Bathinda unit set up a trap. During the operation, the accused architect was caught red-handed accepting a bribe of Rs. 30,000 in the presence of two official witnesses. The Building Inspector was subsequently arrested as well. A case has been registered against both accused under the Prevention of Corruption Act at the Vigilance Bureau police station in Bathinda Range. Further investigation into the case is ongoing.