Suspended Principal of Mohali ITI arrested over 'bribe for job'

Mohali, April 18

The local unit of the Vigilance Bureau has arrested a suspended Principal of the Industrial Training Institute (Women), Phase 5, for allegedly demanded a bribe of Rs. 50,000 for recruiting an instructor in the institute on an outsourced basis.

Shamsher Singh Purkhalvi was suspended from the institute two weeks ago on the basis of several complaints against him. A Vigilance team arrested him from his residence in Zirakpur today.

In a complaint lodged on the anti-corruption helpline of the state, Hardeep Singh, a resident of Samrala tehsil in Ludhiana district, had alleged that Purkhalvi had demanded a bribe of Rs. 50,000 from him to recruit him as an instructor on an outsourced basis. He was to get a salary of Rs. 15,000 per month, but the Principal demanded a bribe of Rs. 50,000, following which he made a video and uploaded it on the anti-corruption helpline.

Hardeep Singh had alleged that he had applied for the post under the reserved category, but during an interaction, Purkhalvi, who was also from the reserved category, told him that there were eligible instructors, who were ready to pay even Rs. 1 lakh for the post, “but since you are from the reserved category, you pay Rs. 50,000”.

Jasbir Kaur, investigating officer, said, “The complaint reached us and we registered an FIR against the suspended Principal and arrested him from his flat in Zirakpur today.” She added that recruitment of instructors in the institute was under the purview of the Principal.

A case under Section 7 of the Prevention of Corruption Act was registered against him. He will be produced in a court tomorrow, she added. —