Punjab transport officer caught taking bribe

Fatehgarh Sahib, Nov 20 (UNI) The Punjab Vigilance Bureau today caught red handed the District Transport Officer (DTO) B S Rana while accepting a bribe of Rs 20,000 from a Mandi Gobindgarh based transporter.

Giving details at a media conference here, SSP-cum-Joint Director (Admn) Vigilance Bureau Harcharan Singh Bhullar said that the Bureau received a complaint from Mandi Gobindgarh based transporter, Rajwant Singh that the DTO was harassing him and asking to pay Rs 50,000 every month for the 'smooth running of his transport company of 40 trucks'.

He said the DTO repeatedly asked the transporter to meet his demand and even threatened to ruin his business.

Mr Bhullar said after receiving the complaint, a trap was laid and as per the plan, Rajwant Singh went to the DTO's official residence with a sum of Rs 20,000. The DTO got irritated and demanded that the full amount of Rs 50,000 for the current month be paid.

Mr Bhullar said that when the DTO was accepting the amount of Rs 20,000, a Vigilance Bureau team led by Sant Singh, DSP nabbed him in the presence of 'government witnesses', Raghbir Singh and Baljit Singh Ghuman, both SDOs of the Irrigation Department. Rana, a PCS officer was posted as DTO here around one and half months ago.

The Vigilance officer said a case under various sections of Prevention of Corruption Act was registered against the DTO at Vigilance Bureau, Flying Squad, police station at Mohali. He said that the DTO will be presented in the court tomorrow.

The DTO who was presented before mediapersons refused to comment on his arrest.

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