Key Points

The police official, earlier posted at Sohana police station and currently serving at Kharar police station in Mohali district, was apprehended as part of the Bureau's ongoing crackdown on corruption.

An official of the VB said the arrest followed an investigation into an online complaint lodged at the Chief Minister's Anti-Corruption Action Line. According to the complaint, a case had been registered against one Gurjit Singh and his wife at the Sohana police station.

The accused ASI, who was associated with the investigation of that case, allegedly demanded a bribe of Rs 2.5 lakh from the complainant for cancelling the case.

Officials added that ASI Om Prakash subsequently accepted Rs 1.55 lakh as part payment of the demanded bribe. A verification conducted by the Vigilance Bureau found the allegations to be true, following which the official was arrested.

A case has been registered against him under the Prevention of Corruption Act at the VB police station in SAS Nagar (Mohali).

Reiterating the state government's zero-tolerance policy towards corruption, the spokesperson said the arrest underlines the Vigilance Bureau's determination to take stringent action against corrupt public servants, irrespective of their position or rank.

A week earlier, on August 11, PVB, in its ongoing crusade against corruption, had apprehended 10 officials red-handed while accepting bribes in eight different trap cases, stated officials in a statement.

An official of PVB stated that the department had put up its best efforts to eradicate corruption amongst public servants and others in every sphere during the period.

He informed that the Bureau had submitted challans about 28 vigilance cases in various competent courts in the last month. Apart from this, six vigilance enquiries have also been registered to thoroughly probe the corruption cases. He added that eight criminal cases were also registered against 13 accused, which include nine government employees.

- ANI