Punjab vigilance bureau has arrested an assistant field officer of Markfed, Gurlal Singh, posted as branch manager at Banga, SBS Nagar for demanding a bribe of ₹52,000. A spokesperson of the VB said the accused official has been arrested after an investigation of an online complaint lodged at the chief minister’s anti-corruption helpline. Giving details, he said that the complainant Rajiv Kumar of village Hakimpur, Banga has informed that he is a commission agent in the grain market Banga and the Markfed officer was demanding rupee one per bag as a bribe for purchasing 52,000 bags of paddy from his shop in the last season. The complainant further informed the VB that a deal had been struck at ₹35,000 but he didn’t want to pay the bribe.
The spokesperson added that the VB has investigated the allegations levelled in the complaint and registered a corruption case against the accused Markfed official after finding him guilty of demanding bribe money. In this regard, the VB has registered a case under Section 7 of the Prevention of Corruption Act at VB police station Jalandhar. Further investigation, in this case, was under progress, he added.