Punjab Vigilance Bureau (VB) has uncovered a significant fake recruitment scam within the Punjab Police, leading to the arrest of two state police employees. The duo had accepted bribes totaling Rs 26,02,926 from 102 individuals, promising them grade-IV positions in the police force.
The arrested individuals are Tarlochan Pal, a cleaner (grade-IV worker) with the 3rd IRB, residing in Mohalla Begampur, Adampur, Jalandhar; and Surinderpal, a barber (grade-IV worker) at the Punjab Police Academy, Phillaur, residing in Sikri village, Nilokheri, Karnal, Haryana.
VB’s official spokesperson stated that the arrests followed an investigation into a complaint lodged on the Chief Minister’s Anti-Corruption Action Line by Surinder Singh, a resident of Nanglan, Garhshankar, Hoshiarpur.
The suspects were presented in a Jalandhar court on Wednesday (June 12, 2024), and remanded to police custody for two days. During this time, they will be interrogated further to uncover the full extent of their fraudulent activities and the total amount of money amassed through the scam.
Preliminary investigations by the VB Jalandhar range confirmed the complainant’s allegations, leading to fraud charges against the accused. The investigation revealed that Tarlochan Pal and Surinderpal falsely promised approximately 560 grade-IV job vacancies in the Punjab Police, demanding Rs 25,000 per person. They collected large sums from numerous individuals across the state.
Tarlochan Pal received Rs 18,09,100 in bribes, depositing the money in various bank accounts, and transferred Rs 5.45 lakhs to Surinderpal's HDFC account. Additionally, Surinderpal received Rs 7,93,826 separately.
Further investigations revealed that a total of Rs 26,02,926 was collected from 102 individuals. Consequently, a case under sections 420 and 120-B of the Indian penal Code (IPC) and section 7 of the Prevention of Corruption Act has been registered against the accused at the VB police station Jalandhar range.
During interrogation, Surinderpal admitted that they gave around Rs nine lakh to two employees at the Punjab Police Headquarters in Chandigarh. Although some money was returned after failing to secure jobs, the remainder was never refunded.
The investigation is ongoing, with statements from various victims being recorded. More affected individuals are expected to come forward with additional information.
Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, in a virtual address late Tuesday evening, had highlighted the VB's successful operation and urged the state's youth and their parents not to fall prey to fraudsters seeking money for government jobs. Mann reiterated that the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) led State Government has already provided over 43,000 jobs to the youth purely on merit.
