A woman Sub-Inspector in Phillaur has been arrested by the Punjab Vigilance Bureau for allegedly accepting a bribe of Rs 20,000 from the mother of an accused in a drug case in exchange for extending official favour and returning the seized mobile phone.
The accused officer Amandeep Kaur was caught red-handed during a trap operation conducted by the Vigilance Bureau, Jalandhar. The complainant, Raj Rani, a resident of Mohalla Choudhrian, Phillaur, alleged that her son had been arrested for carrying intoxicating pills. The officer allegedly demanded Rs 20,000 to register the case with a lesser quantity of contraband to enable bail and for the return of his seized mobile phone.
According to the complaint, the officer had already received Rs 1,000 from her. Raj Rani further alleged that she recorded the conversation regarding the demand for the bribe and submitted the recording to the Vigilance Bureau as evidence. Unwilling to pay the remaining amount, she approached the Vigilance Bureau, seeking action against the officer.
After verifying the allegations, the Vigilance Bureau laid a trap under the supervision of DSP Ashwini Kumar. During the operation, SI Amandeep Kaur was apprehended while accepting Rs 20,000 as bribe in the presence of official witnesses. The currency notes were recovered from her possession.
Vigilance DGP Sharad Satya Chauhan told The Tribune that the operation was conducted after verification of the complaint and supporting evidence submitted by the complainant. He said the accused officer was caught red-handed while accepting the bribe amount and that further investigations were underway to ascertain whether any other persons were involved in the matter.
A case has been registered against SI Amandeep Kaur under Section 7 of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988.
