In Punjab, panchayat secretary held on bribery complaints

Chandigarh, Sep 12: The Punjab Vigilance Bureau said it has arrested a panchayat secretary for accepting a bribe of Rs 6,000. A spokesperson of the bureau said panchayat department official Jarnail Singh was arrested on the complaint of Ajaib Singh of Harayau Khurd village in Patiala.

The complainant had approached the bureau alleging the panchayat secretary was demanding Rs 6,000 to provide some records under the Right To Information Act pertaining to development works executed in his village by the village panchayat.

The complainant further alleged that the accused had already taken Rs 4,000 to hand over the copies of the record under the RTI Act.

A team of officials of the bureau laid a trap and the accused was nabbed while accepting Rs 6,000 from the complainant in the presence of two official witnesses, said the spokesperson.

A case under the Prevention of Corruption Act has been registered against the accused and further investigation was underway.