Chandigarh (Aaj Samaj)The Punjab Vigilance Bureau has registered a case against Firozpur Canal Department SDO Gulab Singh and Agriculture Department sub-inspector Davinder Singh on charges of demanding and accepting a bribe of Rs 15 lakh. In this case, both were appointed as returning officer and assistant returning officer, respectively, during the recently held Panchayat elections. He had accepted this bribe from a sarpanch candidate. The main accused SDO Gulab Singh has been arrested and the Vigilance Bureau teams are busy searching for the second accused.
The Vigilance Bureau spokesperson today informed that this matter came to light after investigation into the complaint lodged by Gurpreet Singh, a farmer of Mana Singh Wala village of Ghal Khurd Block of Firozpur district, on the helpline anti-corruption of the Chief Minister. According to the complaint, Gurpreet Singh had filed a nomination for the post of Sarpanch in the Panchayat-2024 elections. During investigation, it was revealed that SDO Gulab Singh, posted as Returning Officer in Ghal Khurd Block, had demanded and received a bribe of Rs 10 lakh from the complainant on October 4, 2024 in the presence of Agriculture Sub-Inspector Davinder Singh.
Further, on October 5, 2024, Gulab Singh took another Rs 5 lakh through an unknown person at a petrol pump near Baghi Road, Firozpur. The complainant alleged that despite paying bribe, his sarpanch nomination papers were canceled on October 6, 2024. Sub-inspector Davinder Singh later had a conversation with SDO Gulab Singh regarding the return of the money, which he recorded on his mobile phone and presented it to the complainant. The complainant submitted this recording to the Surveillance Office as evidence.
The spokesperson said it was clear from the recording that accused Gulab Singh and Davinder Singh had conspired together to receive bribe from the complainant. He said that on the basis of this investigation, a case has been registered against both the accused under the Prevention of Corruption Act at Firozpur Range Vigilance Police Station. Accused SDO Gulab Singh has been arrested in the case while the other accused will be arrested soon. The investigation into the matter is ongoing.
