Chandigarh, Jan 1 (IANS): The Punjab Vigilance Bureau (VB) arrested 173 people for taking bribes in different cases in 2024, its Chief Director-cum-Special DGP Varinder Kumar said on Wednesday.
He said the arrested individuals include 139 government officials and 34 private people who were caught red-handed while accepting bribes in 134 trap cases.
Adopting a zero-tolerance policy towards all forms of corruption, the Bureau had nabbed 10 gazetted officers and 129 non-gazetted officers.
Kumar said apart from other departments, 53 personnel of Punjab Police, 33 of the Revenue Department, nine of the Power Department, three of Panchayats and Rural Development, eight of the Health Department, 18 of the Local Bodies Department and three of the Food and Civil Supply Department were nabbed while taking bribes in separate cases.
Besides, the VB has apprehended two employees each of the Forest Department, Labour, Finance and Transport Departments in graft cases.
Giving more details, the VB had registered 124 criminal cases against the accused, which include 29 gazetted officers, 117 non-gazetted officers and 117 private people.
Also, 60 vigilance enquiries had also been registered to probe corruption complaints against 26 gazetted officers, 27 non-gazetted officers and seven private people.
Besides, three cases of Disproportionate Assets were also registered against three non-gazetted officers.
In addition, one gazetted officer and one non-gazetted officer were dismissed from service by their respective administrative departments due to conviction by the competent courts while deciding the VB cases.
Sharing details, Kumar said various competent courts have sentenced 50 accused in 41 cases filed and contested by the bureau under the prevention of corruption Act which includes three gazetted officers, 31 non-gazetted officers and 16 private persons and awarded imprisonments ranging from one year to seven years.
The courts have also imposed fines varying from Rs 5,000 to Rs 500,000 in these cases which amount to total Rs 22.42 lakh, he added.