Vigilance Bureau arrests SHO, his accomplice for taking Rs 50,000 bribe in Jalandhar

During an ongoing campaign against corruption in the state, the Punjab Vigilance Bureau (VB) has arrested Inspector of Police Jatinder Kumar, posted as SHO at the Phagwara City police station in Kapurthala, and his accomplice Jaskaran Singh, a resident of Burj Hamira village in Moga, after they were caught red-handed while accepting a bribe of Rs 50,000.

Sharing details, a VB spokesperson on Friday said the arrests were made following a complaint lodged by Kulwinder Kaur, a resident of Chachoki village near Phagwara. He said Kulwinder had alleged that Jatinder 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 case was then registered against her son under the NDPS Act. Subsequently, the accused police official demanded Rs 50,000 from him in exchange for not involving Ashima and Ansh in this case, following which the complainant paid the bribe under pressure.

She further alleged that later, Jatinder allegedly demanded Rs 50,000 more to remove evidence related to Harshdeep. The complainant paid the amount and his items were returned.

She said Jatinder repeatedly contacted her, asking her to pay bills totaling Rs 35,000–40,000 for plants and pots that he had purchased from a nursery and she paid the amount. Additionally, the Inspector demanded Rs 1 lakh in exchange for filing a favorable challan in 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 said after a preliminary inquiry, a VB team laid a trap, during which Jatinder and Jaskaran Singh were caught accepting the bribe in the presence of two official witnesses.