OFFICIAL CAR ALSO TAKEN INTO POSSESSION
Face2News/Chandigarh /Feroepore
The Punjab Vigilance Bureau during its ongoing drive against corruption in the state arrested General Manager PUNSUP, Ajit Pal Singh Saini, who also holds charges of Procurement, Storage, Commercial, Construction and Chief Vigilance Officer (CVO), red handed while he was accepting a bribe of Rs one lakh.
Disclosing this here today an official spokesperson of the state VB said the arrest has been made following a complaint lodged by a resident of Ferozpur district.
He further informed that the complainant has approached the VB and alleged that the aforementioned General Manager of PUNSUP has been demanding bribe of 10% of total embezzled amount of about Rs 1.25 crore, the price of 14090 paddy bags allegedly shown under bogus purchase, and had demanded Rs 2 lakh as a first instalment. However, the deal was settled for Rs one lakh after negotiations.
The complainant is a commission agent at Mandis in Shahzdi and Mana Singh Wala, in Ferozepur. During purchase of paddy by PUNSUP in year 2024, total about 34,250 paddy bags were found less during physical inspection of stocks in concerned rice mills.
The commission agent (Ahartiya) firm of the complainant was alleged to have been involved in reporting bogus purchase of total about 34,250 paddy bags. Subsequently, he was directed to deposit the deficient amount of Rs 2.97 crores, subsequently, the complainant has deposited Rs 2.50 crores with PUNSUP as recovery.
Eventually, the complainant filed a representation with Managing Director, PUNSUP that gate passes of about 19040 paddy bags were deleted later from online portal by District Manager, Ferozepur and Inspectors of PUNSUP Ferozepur, as such he was wrongly fined for these bags. Thereafter, accused Ajit Pal Saini, GM approached the complainant through a common acquaintance Kanwal Deep and demanded bribe for settling the matter in the favour of the complainant.
The complainant has recorded an audio conversation of the accused wherein he demanded Rs 2,00,000 as first instalment. Earlier District Manager Ferozepur and 2 Inspectors of PUNSUP Ferozepur have also been suspended by the Department in the same matter.
The spokesperson added that preliminary verification of allegations were conducted discreetly and after finding the allegations prima facie to be true, a VB team from flying squad laid a trap during which the aforementioned General Manager was caught red handed in the Parking of Max Hospital, phase 6, Mohali while he was accepting a bribe of Rs 1 lakh from the complainant in the presence of two official witnesses. In this regard a case under prevention of corruption act has been registered VB police station, Flying Squad-1, Punjab at Mohali.
The VB team has recovered Rs 1,00,000 bribe money from his possession and official car of the accused in which he came on the spot to receive money, was also taken into possession. He would be produced in the competent court tomorrow and further investigation into this case was under progress, he said.
