32 cops among 118 held in 2 years for corruption

Tribune News Service

Ludhiana, September 1

Adopting a zero-tolerance policy against corruption, the Vigilance Bureau (VB) have arrested 118 corrupt officials, including a few private persons, in the past two years. Interestingly, the policemen are leading the race of corruption as 32 of them have been caught by the VB in the said period.

Interestingly, the apprehended cops are not only low-rung officials but also Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP), sub-inspector rank officials.

Apart from the policemen other bigwigs arrested by the VB include the former Congress Minister Bharat Bhushan Ashu, two District Food and Civil Supplies Controllers (DFSCs), Block Development and Panchayat Officer (BDPO), a bank manager and three press reporters as well.

The VB had also nabbed PCS officer Narinder Singh Dhaliwal, then RTA Ludhiana in January 2023, for running an organised racket for extorting money from transporters.

Talking to The Tribune here on Sunday, Vigilance Bureau Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Ravinderpal Singh Sandhu said the VB arrested 118 corrupt persons in the past 25 months (between July 12, 2022 to August 31, 2024). In most cases, VB sleuths had laid a trap to nab the accused red handed while accepting bribe.

“The VB has zero-tolerance against corruption, each complaint received by VB office here or on the anti corruption helpline of state government is being investigated diligently. Our DGP has given us clear instructions to take strict and immediate action against the corrupt,” added SSP Sandhu.

31 arrested in 2024

As per the data procured from the VB, it shows that out of total 118 arrested in past 25 months, as many as 32 have been arrested in the past eight months in the ongoing year. Even in this period, a maximum 11 cops have been arrested in graft cases.

ACP Women Cell nabbed

On August 1, Vigilance Bureau (VB) arrested Nirdosh Kaur, Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP), women cell, Ludhiana, and her reader Beant Singh while taking Rs 30,000 as a bribe.

Former minister Ashu was major catch

In the crack down against corruption, the first major catch the VB made was the arrest of former Congress Minister Bharat Bhushan Ashu in August, 2022 in transportation tenders scam worth crores. Later, three DFSCs, including one retired one, were arrested. Even properties worth crores of former DFSC Rakesh Kumar Singla were also attached by the Vigilance Bureau.