Punjab Vigilance Bureau (VB) on Friday arrested Jalandhar Central MLA Raman Arora. As per the information received, a team of the Vigilance Bureau raided Arora's house in Ashok Nagar at 8.45 am. When the vigilance team arrived, MLA Arora was going somewhere. Vigilance detained him from a temple near his house. After this, the team took him inside the house. After getting solid evidence, the MLA was arrested. The vigilance raid is still going on. Vigilance Bureau's raid on MLA Raman Arora's residence is seen as the biggest crackdown on corruption by the Bhagwant Singh Mann government. Raman Arora's arrest is a clear example of the Mann Government's zero tolerance policy against corruption even within its own party ranks.
MLA Raman Arora has been arrested in fake Nagar Nigam notices, extortion & digital scams. The MLA's case is related to the ATP arrested a few days ago. As per sources, the MLA is accused of sending notices to people through Jalandhar Municipal Corporation. Then he got the notices quashed by taking money. Preparations for action against Arora had already started. Arora's security was withdrawn a few days ago.
Punjab Vigilance Bureau Chief Praveen Kumar Sinha confirmed Raman Arora was arrested at 3:45 pm, and now he is being taken to the VB office. An FIR has also been registered in this case. Punjab CM Bhagwant Singh Mann will also come live at 4:30 pm in which he is likely to address the issue.
ATP Sukhdev Vashisht case
A few days back, Punjab Vigilance had arrested Sukhdev Vashisht, an Assistant Town Planner (ATP), Municipal Corporation, Jalandhar, for demanding a bribe of Rs. 30,000. VB, in their official release, stated that the accused had been deliberately delaying file approvals and extorting money from the applicants.
They informed that despite 70 percent of building maps in the area having already been approved by the MC, the aforementioned ATP Vashisht had refused to clear certain files unless bribes were paid. As per the complaint, the said ATP has demanded Rs. 30,000 to process the case. The complainants also accused him of using threats, including sealing buildings during inspections to intimidate applicants, and even said that he is not afraid of his transfer.
ATP Sukhdev Vashisht held exclusive responsibility for approving all building plans and taking action against unauthorized constructions in Jalandhar Central and Jalandhar West.
A Vigilance Bureau officer informed True Scoop that no building plan in Jalandhar Central was approved without political clearance, and specifically, without financial gratification being routed to an Aam Aadmi Party leader.
VB, in their initial investigation, has further found that an alleged involvement of a group of local journalists who acted as unofficial enforcers. This group would reportedly take photos of illegal constructions and then use the images to blackmail property owners. In many cases, negative news coverage would follow, leading to official notices from the corporation, which would then be ‘resolved’ for a price.