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Punjab vigilance arrests Ludhiana RTA on graft charge
The Punjab Vigilance Bureau on Friday arrested a Punjab Civil Services officer, Narinder Singh Dhaliwal, posted as the regional transport authority at Ludhiana, for running an organised crime to collect money as bribes from transporters.
The Punjab Vigilance Bureau (VB) on Friday arrested a Punjab Civil Services (PCS) officer, Narinder Singh Dhaliwal, posted as the regional transport authority (RTA) at Ludhiana, for running an organised crime to collect money as bribes from transporters.
Spokesperson of the bureau said during the investigation of a complaint lodged at the Chief Minister’s Anti-Corruption Action Line on November 18, 2022, it was found that he was indulged in collecting bribes through some private persons from different transporters on a monthly basis in Ludhiana on the pretext of not issuing challans of their vehicles.
He said the complainant, Satnam Singh Dhawan of Mankawal village, Ludhiana, had submitted an online complaint against the accused RTA on this helpline with video clips of Punjab Home Guards (PHG) volunteer Bahadar Singh, attached with the said RTA.
The Vigilance Bureau team verified the evidence and facts of the complaint. The probe established that the Dhaliwal used to collect bribe money on a monthly basis through some private persons. It was found that in December, he received bribe money of ₹4 lakh out of which he used ₹1,70,000 for himself and the remaining bribe money was handed over to PHG Bahadar Singh.
During investigations, the PHG volunteer disclosed to the VB that being a subordinate employee of the RTA, he has to obey the orders of the RTA and could produce the bribe money of ₹2,30,000.
A case under Sections 7, 7-A, and 8 of the Prevention of Corruption Act and 120-B of the IPC was registered at the Vigilance Bureau police station, Ludhiana range, against Dhaliwal and others.
Bahadar Singh also produced the bribe amount of ₹2,30,000 in the vigilance bureau office in the presence of official witnesses which was handed over to him by the accused RTA. He will be produced in a local court on Friday. Further investigation in this case is on.
