Punjab Vigilance Bureau Arrests Inspector, Junior Auditor in Major Bribery Case
Chandigarh, June 23
The Punjab Vigilance Bureau (VB), as part of the Punjab Government’s zero-tolerance policy against corruption under the leadership of Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann, has arrested an Inspector and a Junior Auditor for allegedly demanding and accepting bribes related to the storage of paddy allotted for custom milling during the crop year 2025-26.
According to an official spokesperson of the Vigilance Bureau, Inspector Rajneesh Rampal, posted with the Food and Civil Supplies Department at Bhogpur in Jalandhar district, and Junior Auditor Manav Bhanot, posted in the office of the District Controller, Food, Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs, Jalandhar, were arrested following a complaint filed by a resident of Cheema Mandi in Sunam tehsil of Sangrur district through the Chief Minister’s Anti-Corruption Action Line portal.
The spokesperson said that during the verification of the complaint, it was found that Inspector Rajneesh Rampal had allegedly accepted an initial bribe amount of Rs 50,000 from the complainant for completing the storage process of paddy in the complainant’s rice sheller. Subsequently, he allegedly accepted another Rs 20,000 as illegal gratification for himself and in the name of Gurvinder Singh, Assistant Food Supply Officer (AFSO), Food and Civil Supplies Department, Bhogpur.
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Similarly, Junior Auditor Manav Bhanot was found to have allegedly accepted Rs 50,000 from the complainant for himself and in the name of Narinder Singh, District Controller, Food, Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs, Jalandhar, for facilitating the completion of paddy storage in the complainant’s sheller.
The spokesperson added that video recordings submitted by the complainant during the investigation substantiated the allegations against both accused officials.
In this regard, a case under the Prevention of Corruption Act has been registered against the accused at the Vigilance Bureau Police Station, Jalandhar. The role of other officers and employees suspected to be involved in the matter will also be examined during the course of the investigation.
Further investigation is underway.
