Punjab IAS arrested by vigilance bureau in a bribery case
Kanwar Inder Singh/ royalpatiala.in
The Punjab Vigilance Bureau on Monday night arrested director, pensions, Sanjay Popli, 2008-batch Indian Administrative Services (IAS) officer in a corruption case.
Sanjay Polpli , IAS, was arrested in a bribery case pertaining to allotment of tenders when he was posted as the chief executive officer of the Punjab Water Supply and Sewerage Board. Sandeep Wats, who was posted as the assistant secretary in the board, has also been arrested.
As per available information , a complaint by Sanjay Kumar, r/o H. No. LD 229, Sector-45, Karnal, Haryana, a government contractor with a firm under the name of Dikhadala Cooperative Society Limited, was received at the Anti-Corruption Helpline against Sanjay Popli, IAS, former Chief Executive Officer and Sandeep Wats, former Assistant Secretary, Punjab Water Supply and Sewerage Board for allegedly demanding a bribe @ 1% for clearance of bills for tenders for laying of sewerage pipeline at Nawanshehar.
Sanjay Kumar alleged that he had been allotted the above-mentioned tender for Rs. 7.30 crores. On 12.01.2022, he received a call from above-mentioned Sandeep Wats saying that Sanjay Popli, IAS, had demanded Rs. 7 lakh for tender allotment. Scared, he drew Rs. 3.5 lakh from his PNB account and handed over the same to Sandeep Wats in a car at Sector-20, Chandigarh. Sandeep Wats called Sanjay Popli regarding having received the payment and also took Rs. 5000/- for himself.
Sanjay Kumar made a video recording of the entire above-mentioned conversation, which he submitted to VB. Sandeep Wats again called him a number of times for the remaining Rs. 3.5 lakh but he refused.
Based on the statement of Sanjay Kumar as well as the video evidence submitted by him, a case has been registered against above-mentioned Sanjay Popli, IAS, former Chief Executive Officer and Sandeep Wats, Assistant Secretary, Punjab Water Supply and Sewerage Board, for demanding bribe @1% for allotment of tender and receiving Rs. 3.5 lakh as such.
Sanjay Popli and Sanjiv wats have been arrested .
Meanwhile, after taking charge as the Chief Minister, Bhagwant Mann launched the anti-corruption helpline number 9501200200 and appealed to the people of Punjab to share complaints pertaining to corruption via WhatsApp so that the state could be made corruption-free. Since the launch of the helpline number of prominent people including State Health Minister Vijay Singla, former Congress Minister Sadhu Singh Dharamsot, and former Congress MLA Joginder Pal has been arrested on corruption charges.
June 21,2022
