Chandigarh, July 7
The Punjab Vigilance Bureau today arrested Vishal Chauhan, Conservartor (Planning), Forest Department, for his alleged complicity in the case under the Prevention of Corruption Act against DFO Guramanpreet Singh, who is in judicial custody after being arrested on June 6.
DFO already in judicial custody
- IFS officer Vishal Chauhan held for alleged complicity in a case under the Prevention of Corruption Act against DFO Guramanpreet Singh, who is in judicial custody
- In a subsequent FIR, based on the investigation in the case against the DFO, former Forest Minister Sadhu Singh Dharamsot had already been arrested
In a subsequent FIR, based on the investigation in the case against the DFO, former Forest Minister Sadhu Singh Dharamsot had been arrested.
Vigilance sleuths said during the course of the investigation, based on documentary evidence and interrogation of the DFO, it emerged that Chauhan connived with him and contractor Harmahinder Singh to get hefty bribes from coloniser Davinder Sandhu, who had complained to the Vigilance against forest officials. Sandhu had done a video sting of forest officials, allegedly asking for a bribe for stopping action against him in conection with illegal carving out of plots.
The Conservator was arrested after being named an accused in the case on the basis of “tangible evidence”.
To settle the case against Sandhu, contractor Harmahinder contacted him stating that he and Guramanpreet had spoken to Chauhan, who said that if the project was to be started, he would have to give a bribe of Rs 1 crore as the first instalment and then Rs 10 lakh per month along with Rs 5 lakh of whatever land would be sold as share, but Sandhu did not agree to pay the bribe, said Vigilance officials.
VB arrests Conservator in graft case
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