Vigilance sleuths nab Punjab senior asst taking Rs15K bribe

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, July 1

The UT Vigilance Department today nabbed a senior assistant working with the Punjab Health Department while allegedly taking a bribe of Rs15,000.

Vigilance officials said a medical officer, working at the Civil Hospital in Faridkot, Punjab, visited the Vigilance police station in Sector 9 and stated that he had been selected for MD/MS at the PGI, Chandigarh, as a sponsored candidate.

He stated that for the purpose, an NOC was required to be signed and forwarded by the Director (Health Services) to the Punjab Secretariat.

The officials said the complainant today visited the Health Department, Punjab Mini-Secretariat, Sector 9, to know the status of the NOC where he met a person named Shah, who demanded Rs15,000 for issuance of the NOC.

The complainant then approached Vigilance officials and submitted a complaint. Acting on the complaint, a trap was laid on the rear side of the Punjab Mini-Secretariat and the suspect was arrested while taking the bribe.

“The bribe amount was recovered from the suspect,” said an official.

During the investigation, the name of the suspect was established as Surinderjit Singh Shah, a senior assistant in the Health Department, Punjab Mini-Secretariat.

The suspect was caught taking the bribe, allegedly at the behest of Under Secretary Gurlal Singh, whose role is being investigated.