Vigilance Bureau nabs Excise & Taxation Officer, Excise Inspector taking bribe Rs 5,00,000 to write off fine

Chandigarh, December 15 : The Punjab Vigilance Bureau (VB) during its ongoing campaign against corruption in the State, as directed by the Punjab chief minister Bhagwant Mann, on Thursday nabbed an Excise and Taxation Officer (ETO) Sandeep Singh and Excise and Taxation Inspector Vishal Sharma red handed for accepting a bribe of Rs 5,00,000.

Disclosing this here today, a spokesperson of the VB said the accused, posted in the GST wing of Excise and Taxation department Ludhiana have been arrested on the complaint of Ravinder Kumar resident of Sarabha Nagar, Ludhiana. Giving details he informed that the complainant has approached the VB and alleged that the above said excise officials were demanding a bribe of Rs. 15 lakh in lieu of writing off fine imposed on his firm during a survey conducted by the department but deal was struck at Rs 12 lakh.

The spokesperson further said after verifying this complaint, a VB team laid a trap and both the accused excise officials were caught red handed while taking a bribe money of Rs. 5,00,000 as a first installment in the presence of two official witnesses.

He informed that a case under Prevention of Corruption Act has been registered against both the accused at VB police station, economic offences wing, Ludhiana and further investigation was under progress.