PA to DC Tarn Taran arrested for ₹20,000 bribe, accomplices also detained by vigilance bureau

Chandigarh (The Uttam Hindu): The Punjab Vigilance Bureau (VB), as part of its ongoing anti-corruption campaign, has registered a case against Harmandeep Singh, Personal Assistant (PA) to the Deputy Commissioner (DC) of Tarn Taran, Harsimranjit Singh, a clerk in the Election Cell, and his accomplice Jagroop Singh, a Data Entry Operator (contractual), for allegedly demanding and accepting a bribe of ₹20,000. Harmandeep Singh and Jagroop Singh have been arrested, while Harsimranjit Singh remains at large.

The case stems from a complaint filed by Sandeep Singh, a resident of Mohala Tonk Kshatriya in Tarn Taran city. The complainant claimed that the accused had initially demanded ₹1,00,000 to clear bills for videography services provided during the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. The final agreed amount was ₹50,000, with the accused having already accepted ₹20,000 as the first installment.

Following a preliminary investigation, the Vigilance Bureau team set up a trap, during which Harmandeep Singh and Jagroop Singh were caught red-handed while accepting the second installment of ₹20,000 in the presence of two official witnesses. A case under the Prevention of Corruption Act has been filed at the VB Police Station in Amritsar, and further investigations are ongoing. The arrested accused are set to be produced in court.