A recovery agent of a private agency was arrested by the Punjab Vigilance Bureau (VB) on Tuesday for allegedly posing as a revenue official and accepting ₹10,000 bribe from a loan defaulter on the pretext of delaying possession of his property.
The accused, Ravneet Singh, employed with Saviour Recovery Agency, was caught red-handed in a trap laid by the VB after a Kabir Nagar resident approached the bureau with a complaint.
According to the VB, the complainant has been running a garment factory since 2007 and had availed a ₹40 lakh cash credit loan from IDBI Bank. The loan dispute is pending before the Debt Recovery Tribunal (DRT), Chandigarh.
The VB alleged that Ravneet visited the complainant on May 25, falsely introduced himself as a revenue official and served him a notice purportedly issued by the revenue office.
Claiming the bank would take possession of the property on May 28, he allegedly demanded ₹60,000 to delay the process by three months. He had already taken ₹20,000 and was demanding another ₹10,000.
The complainant recorded the alleged demand and informed the VB, which laid a trap and arrested Ravneet while he was accepting the money.
{{/usCountry}}The complainant recorded the alleged demand and informed the VB, which laid a trap and arrested Ravneet while he was accepting the money.
{{/usCountry}}Investigators later found he was not associated with revenue department.
“A case under the Prevention of Corruption Act has been registered against him. The role of any bank or revenue official, if found, will be examined during the investigation,” said a VB official.