Karnal MC superintendent engineer, his PA booked on corruption charges

Amid a showdown over high-profile arrests of a district town planner (DTP) and a tehsildar by the Haryana state vigilance bureau (SVB) within four days, police on Tuesday booked a superintendent engineer (SE) and his personal assistant (PA), both posted at the Karnal municipal corporation, on corruption charges

Amid a showdown over high-profile arrests of a district town planner (DTP) and a tehsildar by the Haryana state vigilance bureau (SVB) within four days, police on Tuesday booked a superintendent engineer (SE) and his personal assistant (PA), both posted at the Karnal municipal corporation, on corruption charges.

Both have been booked after an enquiry conducted by ADC Yogesh Kumar, marked by the then deputy commissioner (DC) Nishant Kumar Yadav and submitted on March 8 to incumbent DC Anish Yadav. (iStock)

SE Deepak Kinger and his PA-cum-computer operator Vikas Sharma have been named in an FIR lodged at the Civil Lines police station for allegedly taking bribe money from multiple contractors, who were allotted works under the Smart City project or others.

Both have been booked after an enquiry conducted by additional deputy commissioner (ADC) Yogesh Kumar, marked by the then deputy commissioner (DC) Nishant Kumar Yadav and submitted on March 8 to incumbent DC Anish Yadav.

The SE already remains suspended since December last year after arrest of two computer operators, Subham and Sahil, at the office of Karnal Smart City Limited (KSCL) in Mangal Sen Auditorium, for allegedly blackmailing the SE through some videos showing his PA accepting bribe money.

Police said the duo had installed a spy camera in the false ceiling and a recorder below the table of the SE.

“Of total 32 videos, monetary transactions were visible in 19. However, the audio quality was poor and the conversations were not audible, thus the exact purpose of the transactions could not be ascertained,” the ADC said in his report.

“Yet, carrying out any type of private transactions in the office of SE is nothing short of misconduct. This raises serious doubt on their integrity and makes both liable for disciplinary actions in the episode that also tarnishes the image of government offices in the public eye,” the ADC added, in his report.

The ADC also proposed a detailed inquiry by the department of urban local bodies to ascertain the role of junior engineers Manish and Lucky, who were seen exchanging money with Vikas Sharma.

Meanwhile, the Haryana government has also suspended DTP Vikram Singh, four days after he was arrested by the vigilance bureau red-handed while taking ₹5 lakh bribe.

In an order made available on Tuesday, ACS Devender Singh said Vikram has been kept under suspension with effect from March 11, when he was arrested.

Officials of the vigilance bureau’s Karnal range said he was presented again before court along with tehsildar Rajbaksh Arora and both were sent to three-day and one-day remand, respectively.