A routine road-repair contractor from Batala turned out to be the key figure behind the dramatic Vigilance Bureau action that led to the arrest of Vikramjeet Singh Panthey, Commissioner, Municipal Corporation–cum–SDM Batala. What began as a simple payment dispute ended with a late-night trap, an arrest, and the seizure of Rs 13.5 lakh unaccounted cash.
Punjab’s Chief Director, Vigilance Bureau, P K Sinha, confirmed the arrest and said the officer had been under the scanner after multiple complaints accusing him of demanding commission and even blackmailing contractors for clearing development work. “Acting on these complaints, a trap was laid and he was arrested red-handed while accepting a bribe,” Sinha said.
According to sources, the SDM was allegedly charging as much as 10% commission for various municipal development works in Batala. Several contractors had privately expressed fear of approaching authorities earlier, but the latest complainant decided to take a stand.
The case unfolded when the contractor, whose identity has been withheld for safety, approached the Municipal Corporation with bills for patchwork and road repairs totalling Rs 3.72 lakh. Another Rs 1.81 lakh was pending for technical work done for a light-and-sound show. The total due amount was about Rs 5.54 lakh.
When he went to meet the Commissioner for the payment, he was allegedly told he must pay 10% commission to clear the bills. Later, the rate was allegedly reduced to 9%, conveyed to him through an SDO. The contractor, unwilling to pay, approached the Vigilance Bureau’s Gurdaspur unit and got his statement officially recorded.
Once the allegations were verified, the Vigilance Bureau laid a trap. The officer was caught red-handed accepting Rs 50,000 from the complainant in the presence of official witnesses. After this, the Bureau conducted a further search and recovered Rs 13.5 lakh unaccounted cash from his possession.
The VB spokesperson said that an FIR under the Prevention of Corruption Act has been registered at the Vigilance Bureau Police Station, Range Amritsar. The arrested officer will be produced in court, and further investigation is underway.
