Chandigarh, July 2, 2026:
In its ongoing crackdown against corruption, the Punjab Vigilance Bureau (VB) has arrested Sanjeev Sabharwal, Reader to the Naib Tehsildar, Samana (Patiala district), while allegedly accepting a bribe of ₹6,000.
A spokesperson for the Vigilance Bureau said the arrest was made following a complaint filed by a resident of Dhainthal village in Samana.
According to the complaint, the complainant’s brother had secured a ₹11 lakh loan from Jana Small Finance Bank, Patiala, by mortgaging his house to finance his son’s overseas education. The loan was being repaid through monthly instalments of ₹14,000, but after the instalments remained unpaid for the past two years, proceedings under Section 14 of the SARFAESI Act, 2002 were initiated before the office of the Naib Tehsildar-cum-Executive Magistrate, Samana. Orders had also been issued to take physical possession of the mortgaged property.
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The spokesperson said that when the complainant approached the Naib Tehsildar’s office regarding the matter, he met the accused Reader, who allegedly demanded ₹25,000 to delay the legal proceedings. After negotiations, the accused agreed to accept an initial payment of ₹6,000, asking the complainant to pay the remaining amount after July 6, 2026.
Refusing to pay the bribe, the complainant reported the matter to the Punjab Vigilance Bureau, Patiala Range.
Acting swiftly, the VB team laid a trap and caught the accused red-handed while accepting the ₹6,000 bribe from the complainant in the presence of two official witnesses.
A case under the Prevention of Corruption Act has been registered against the accused at the Vigilance Bureau Police Station, Patiala. Further investigation is underway.
