North News
Chandigarh, December 11
The Punjab Vigilance Bureau (VB) arrested a Patwari on Wednesday for accepting a bribe of Rs 20,000 in Gurdaspur district, as part of its ongoing anti-corruption drive. Surjit Singh, a Patwari posted at Qila Lal Singh, was apprehended following a complaint lodged by Varinder Singh, a resident of the same village. Singh alleged that his land, acquired by the National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) for an expressway project, was being manipulated by the accused. Singh claimed that Patwari Surjit Singh demanded a bribe to prepare a report that would include three borewells on the land.
After a preliminary investigation, the VB team set up a trap and caught Singh in the act, accepting the bribe in the presence of two official witnesses. A case has been registered under the Prevention of Corruption Act at the VB police station in Amritsar range. The accused will be presented in court on Thursday, and further investigations are ongoing.
