Bathinda, April 22: The Vigilance Department in Bathinda arrested a Naib Tehsildar and an area Patwari from Sub-Tehsil Sangat today after they were caught red-handed accepting a bribe of Rs 5,000. The arrest followed a trap set in response to a complaint from Rajinder Kumar, a local resident.
DSP Kulwant Singh of the Vigilance Department explained that the operation was initiated after Rajinder Kumar reported that he had been asked to pay a bribe for land documentation. “Rajinder Kumar approached us with a complaint that both officials demanded Rs 10,000 for the girdawari process. After paying Rs 5,000, he was instructed to deliver the remaining amount, which led to today’s operation,” said DSP Singh.
The operation was led by DSP Sandeep Singh, In-charge of the Vigilance team, and witnessed by official government witnesses. Upon entering the Sub-Tehsil Sangat office, the team found Rs 2,500 each in the possession of Gurtej Singh, the Patwari of Kotguru, and Nirmal Singh, the Naib Tehsildar. Both officials were arrested on the spot under the Anti-Corruption Act.
“The bribe amount was confirmed when the officials were asked to wash their hands,” Singh added. “The chemical turned red, verifying the graft.”
The trap revealed ongoing corruption in Punjab’s tehsil offices. Rajinder Kumar revealed that he had been harassed multiple times by officials. “I bought land in Kotguru for Rs 2.8 lakh, and I was told to pay Rs 20,000 for the girdawari process,” he said. “Eventually, I negotiated the amount down to Rs 10,000, to be paid in two instalments of Rs 5,000.”
Adding to the drama, Naib Tehsildar Nirmal Singh had been scheduled to transfer to Baliyanwali the same day but was apprehended before he could leave. The raid sent shockwaves through the area, causing many other government officers in nearby offices to flee.
