Punjab Vigilance Bureau on Saturday said it has booked Nirmala, District Commander and Anmol Moti, Platoon Commander of Punjab Home Guard, posted at Jalandhar for misusing their official positions as public servants and receiving bribe amounting to Rs.2,40,000 from Home Guard Volunteer Sewa Ram to extend his retirement age.
A spokesperson of the Bureau said Volunteer Sewa Ram had lodged his complaint regarding this bribery on WhatsApp number 9501200200 issued by the state government for control of corrupt practices which was investigated by the Vigilance Bureau Range Jalandhar. The complainant had stated that at the time of recruitment he had written his age 25 years in recruitment form and did not mention any specific date of birth. According to this information and the age mentioned in the recruitment form, Sewa Ram was to retire being 58 years old on 17-05-2021.
The spokesperson added that the complainant had submitted in his complaint that platoon commander Anmol Moti had called him to his office on 01-05-2021 and introduced him to the then District Home Guards Commander Nirmala where he was informed about his retirement in May 2021. However, he informed the officers that his date of birth is 25-8-1970 and still 7 years have left in his retirement but Nirmala demanded a bribe through Anmol Moti to increase his date of retirement. He informed that in order to avail such enhancement in tenure the complainant had given Rs.2,40,000 to the platoon commander on different dates as per the demand of the aforesaid district commander who further handed over the bribe amount to the accused Nirmala.
The spokesperson revealed that during the investigation it was found that the accused District Commander, despite the fact that Sewa Ram was to retire from the job, with the intention of extending his tenure, increased the date of retirement of Sewa Ram to 25-08-1970. By doing so, the District Commander and Platoon Commander, now posted at Traffic Police Station, Jalandhar, have misused their official position as a public servant and obtained a bribe amount from the complainant, he added.
He said that on the basis of these allegations a case under sections 7, 7(A) of the Prevention of Corruption Act and Section 120B of the IPC have been registered against both the above accused at the Vigilance Bureau Jalandhar Range Police Station and further investigation is under progress.