Chandigarh, October 31, (  ): The Punjab Vigilance Bureau (VB), during its ongoing campaign against corruption in the state, has apprehended Gurdeep Singh, alias Sunny, a Data Entry Operator with the Municipal Corporation of Ludhiana, red handed while he was accepting a bribe of Rs. 10,000.

The arrest followed a formal complaint

According to an official spokesperson for the VB, the arrest followed a formal complaint filed by Amandeep Singh Chandok, a resident of GTB Nagar, Ludhiana, and a recent candidate for the position of Sarpanch from village Shanti Vihar, Bhamian Kalan. He further added that Chandok, who is a property advisor and builder, has approached the VB and alleged that Gurdeep Singh had demanded the bribe in his capacity as a nominating officer. The accused reportedly claimed to work with the Returning Officer and asserted that he could overlook deficiencies in his nomination papers for a bribe of Rs. 10,000.

Data Entry Operator agreed to an initial bribe

Following negotiations, Gurdeep Singh agreed to an initial bribe of Rs. 5,000 for processing his nomination file and subsequently demanded an additional Rs. 10,000 to facilitate the submission of nomination files for his team contesting as Panchayat members. The complainant further disclosed that Gurdeep Singh had also requested a larger bribe of Rs. 50,000, allegedly to ensure his election victory. Recorded evidence, including calls from the accused’s mobile phone even after the election, was provided to the VB, prompting a swift investigation and the formation of a team to lay a trap.

the team successfully captured Gurdeep Singh

The VB spokesperson confirmed that the team captured Gurdeep Singh accepting a Rs. 10,000 bribe from the complainant in front of two official witnesses. The VB police station in Ludhiana Range has registered a corruption case against him, and investigators are proceeding with the case.