Amid the ongoing drive against corruption in the state, the Punjab Vigilance Bureau on Monday arrested four persons, including two officers posted at the DRO office, Ludhiana, and two private persons, on charges of accepting a bribe of Rs 30,000 from an NRI in lieu of releasing compensation in lieu of land. Arrested accused has been taken over by the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI).
The arrested persons have been identified as two employees of CEIGALL India Limited, including Patwari Ram Singh and Clerk Naresh Kumar, posted at the DRO office, Ludhiana, and Liaison Officers Harkirat Singh Bedi and Tahinder Singh. CEIGALL India Ltd has an agreement with NHAI. Disclosing this, an official spokesperson of Vigilance said that these accused have been arrested on the complaint of NRI Yadvinder Singh, resident of Ghavaddi.
He further informed that the complainant had lodged a complaint that his 6 kanal agricultural land has been acquired for Delhi-Katra Express Highway and compensation of Rs 49 lakh is pending, for which a file was submitted to the office of DRO Ludhiana on May 22, 2023.
The complainant said that about a month back, NHAI started demarcation and put pillars on the land and when he objected to the release of compensation for the land earlier, a JCB driver gave him the number of Mohinder, who further contacted Harkirat Bedi. Asked for, so that compensation can be received. He said that the latter assured the DRO office to release the compensation in 2-3 days, but he would have to pay Rs 40,000 and the deal was settled at Rs 30,000.
After preliminary investigation, the Vigilance laid a trap and arrested Harkirat Singh Bedi red-handed while accepting a bribe of Rs.30,000 from the complainant in the presence of a government official at a dhaba near Sahnewal. Vigilance has also arrested Tehinder Singh, who was present with the accused.
Ram Singh Patwari had retired in 2020
On the disclosure of accused Harkirat Bedi, Vigilance has also arrested Patwari Ram Singh and Clerk Naresh Kumar for getting the file approved in connivance with the accused. Both the accused officers had demanded a bribe of Rs 10,000 each from Harkirat Bedi. Relevantly, Ram Singh Patwari had retired in 2020 and the DRO has assigned his job on contract basis since 2020. A case has been registered in this regard at the Police Station Vigilance Bureau, Ludhiana Range under various sections of the Prevention of Corruption Act.
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