Vigilance Bureau : Co-accused SHO evades arrest during the operation.
The Punjab Vigilance Bureau (VB), as part of its ongoing anti-corruption campaign in the state, has arrested Constable Kindar Singh, the gunman of the SHO of Garhshankar police station in Hoshiarpur district, for demanding and accepting a bribe of ₹30,000. In this case, co-accused SHO Baljinder Singh Malhi managed to evade arrest by fleeing the scene.
An official spokesperson of the state Vigilance Bureau revealed today that a case has been filed against the mentioned police official based on a complaint lodged by Hardeep Kaur, a resident of Nangal sub-division in Rupnagar district.
He further explained that the complainant had approached the Vigilance Bureau, stating that the accused demanded ₹1 lakh on behalf of SHO Inspector Baljinder Singh Malhi to prevent her brother, who had been arrested along with others in a dispute, from being implicated in a narcotics case. She also mentioned that after her request, the police officers agreed to accept ₹50,000 for this purpose.
The spokesperson further stated that after conducting a preliminary inquiry into the complaint, a team from the Hoshiarpur unit of the Vigilance Bureau set up a trap, during which the police officer was caught red-handed accepting a ₹30,000 bribe from the complainant on behalf of the SHO, in the presence of two official witnesses. SHO Baljinder Singh Malhi managed to escape the scene, evading arrest. A case under the Prevention of Corruption Act has been registered against both accused at the VB police station in Jalandhar range. The accused will be produced in court tomorrow, and further investigation into the case is ongoing.