SHO, aide caught taking Rs 50K bribe
The Punjab Vigilance Bureau (VB), during its ongoing campaign against corruption in the state, has caught Phagwara city SHO Jatinder Kumar along with his accomplice Jaskaran Singh, alias Jassa, a resident of Burj Hamira village in Moga district, red-handed while accepting a bribe of Rs 50,000.
Disclosing this here today, a spokesperson for the VB said the arrest was made following a complaint lodged by Kulwinder Kaur, a resident of Chachoki village near Phagwara. He added that Kulwinder had approached the VB with a complaint, alleging that the police officer had detained her son Harshdeep, his wife Ashima, and his brother-in-law Ansh Sharma in March while they were dining at a local eatery in Phagwara.
A Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) case was then registered against her son. Subsequently, the Inspector demanded Rs 50,000 in exchange for not involving Harshdeep’s wife and brother-in-law in this case and the complainant, under pressure, paid the bribe.
She further alleged that later, Inspector Jatinder Kumar allegedly demanded another Rs 50,000 to exclude Harshdeep’s mobile phone worth Rs 1.5 lakh, along with a gold ring and gold ear studs, from the case evidence. The complainant paid the bribe amount and the items were returned to her. The complainant further alleged that the Inspector repeatedly contacted her, asking her to pay bills totalling Rs 35,000-40,000 for plants and pots he had purchased from Tara Nursery and she paid the amount, too. Additionally, the Inspector demanded Rs 1 lakh in exchange for filing a favourable challan in a court and supporting her son during the trial and evidence. A final settlement of Rs 50,000 was agreed upon, which the complainant recorded and submitted as an evidence to the VB.
The spokesperson added that after a preliminary inquiry into the complaint, a VB team laid a trap during which Inspector Jatinder Kumar and his accomplice Jaskaran Singh were caught accepting a bribe of Rs 50,000 from the complainant in the presence of two official witnesses. A case has been registered.
