The Punjab Vigilance Bureau (VB) during its ongoing campaign against corruption in the state, on Thursday arrested a reporter namely Pawan Verma, Chief Editor, City Kesari Press, Jalandhar and resident of resident of Kartar Nagar, Jalandhar, red-handed while he was accepting a bribe of Rs 5000.
Disclosing this here today a spokesperson of the state VB said the above mentioned accused has been arrested based on a complaint lodged by Pyare Lal, a resident of Suraj Ganj West, Jalandhar city.
Giving more details he added that the has approached the VB and informed that he was constructing a commercial shop on his plot at village Kingra, Sudama Vihar, Jalandhar city but its map had not passed from the Municipal Corporation, Jalandhar (MCJ). The complainant further added that on 24.09.24, two persons came to his shop namely aforementioned Pawan Verma, Chief Editor, City Kesari Press, Jalandhar and Munish Tokhi, from Punjab Daily News, Jalandhar. They took photograph of his shop in the mobile phone and threatened the complainant to stop construction work of his shop from the MCJ as the map has not been passed.
The spokesperson informed that as per the complaint the accused Pawan Verma convinced the complainant that his shop would not be demolished if he pays Rs. 10,000 bribe as they have good connections with the MCJ officials.
Accused Pawan Verma asked the complainant to transfer Rs.4000 online and pay the remaining money of Rs.5000 later.
Thereafter, said accused Pawan Verma started calling the complainant and his father demanding a bribe of Rs. 9,000 from the same day and then the complainant transferred Rs.4000 to the said mobile number of accused Pawan Verma on 26.09.24.
The spokesperson informed that after preliminary enquiry into this complaint a VB team laid a trap during which the accused Pawan Kumar has been arrested while he was accepting a bribe of Rs 5,000 as second instalment from the complainant in the presence of two official witnesses.
During this trap his accomplice accused Munish Tokhi from Punjab Daily News Jalandhar escaped from the spot.
In this regard a case under section prevention of corruption act has been registered against both the accused at VB police station Jalandhar range. The accused would be produced in the competent Court tomorrow. The VB would conduct in-depth investigation regarding the facts that the aforementioned duo accused have taken money from other persons also using the name of Municipal Corporation officials.