The Gurdaspur court has remanded Lakhwinder Singh, Tehsildar of Dera Baba Nanak, and his driver to one-day police custody under the Punjab Vigilance Bureau (VB) following their arrest on Friday for demanding and accepting a bribe of Rs 50,000.

According to an official spokesperson of the VB, the Tehsildar was arrested based on a complaint filed by Sukhdev Singh Sohi, a resident of Village Mansoor, Tehsil Dera Baba Nanak, district Gurdaspur, now residing in Village Ramdas, Amritsar district.

The spokesperson elaborated that Sukhdev Singh had alleged in his complaint that Ajaib Singh, a resident of Dhandowal Shahkot in Jalandhar district, had lodged a complaint against him regarding a land dispute. The matter was assigned to Tehsildar Lakhwinder Singh for verification. During the process, the Tehsildar allegedly demanded a bribe of Rs 50,000 through Dilbagh Singh, Numberdar of Village Ratta, in exchange for a favorable report.

Following a preliminary inquiry, the VB laid a trap, and nabbed the said Tehsildar red-handed while accepting the bribe of Rs 50,000 from the complainant. The spokesperson added that after accepting the said bribe the Tehsildar had passed the bribe money to his driver, who was also arrested and charged as an accomplice in the crime. Further investigation into the case is ongoing.