Vigilance Bureau arrests improvement trust accountant

In a significant development, the Punjab Vigilance Bureau (VB) apprehended Vishal Sharma, an accountant at the Amritsar Improvement Trust (AIT), for allegedly accepting a bribe of Rs 8 lakh. The arrest comes in the wake of a complaint filed by Jatinder Singh, a resident of Partap Avenue, Amritsar, who reported the misconduct through the Chief Minister’s Anti-Corruption Action Line.

Gautam Majithia, the AIT law officer, had previously been taken into custody in connection with the same case. Singh accused both Majithia and Sharma of demanding the substantial bribe in exchange for facilitating a 20 percent increase in compensation for the acquisition of his land, as directed by the district court and totaling Rs 20 lakh.

The complainant provided audio-video evidence of conversations with Majithia discussing the bribe payment, leading to the confirmation of the illicit transaction. Further investigation revealed that Majithia had issued cheques totaling Rs 8 lakh to accountant Vishal Sharma, who, in turn, had endorsed the estimate for the enhanced compensation, indicating their collaboration in the corrupt act.

The Punjab Vigilance Bureau has detained Vishal Sharma, an accountant at the Amritsar Improvement Trust, for allegedly accepting a bribe of Rs 8 lakh. This follows a complaint by Jatinder Singh, who accused Sharma and previously arrested AIT law officer Gautam Majithia of demanding the bribe for expediting a 20 percent increase in land compensation. Singh provided audio-video evidence of conversations with Majithia, confirming the illicit transaction. Further investigation revealed that Majithia had issued cheques to Sharma, who endorsed the compensation estimate. The arrest highlights the authorities’ commitment to combating corruption in public offices and ensuring accountability.

The VB, through its Amritsar range, subsequently arrested Sharma, holding him accountable for accepting the bribe. The investigation is ongoing as authorities delve deeper into the intricacies of the case. The arrests underscore the commitment to combating corruption within public offices and ensuring accountability for those involved.