The Punjab Vigilance Bureau (VB) during its anti-corruption drive, has registered a corruption case against Harpreet Singh, PCS, Assistant Labour Commissioner, Hoshiarpur, and his office’s computer operator, Alka Sharma, for accepting a bribe of Rs 30,000.

Accused Alka Sharma has been caught red-handed while she was accepting the bribe of Rs 30,000 and has been sent to jail on a 14-day judicial remand by the local court. The other accused, Harpreet Singh, PCS, is currently absconding.

Disclosing this here today a spokesperson of the VB, said this case has been registered based on a complaint lodged by Rohit Chauhan, running a shop in Kashmiri Bazaar, Hoshiarpur.

The complainant reported to the Bureau that he owns a jewellery shop, which he recently renovated. He subsequently received a notice from the office of the Assistant Labor Commissioner, Hoshiarpur.

When he visited the office, Alka Sharma, the computer operator, informed him that he would face a substantial fine, but she could help to resolve the matter by discussing it with her superior, Assistant Labor Commissioner Harpreet Singh.

The spokesperson further stated that the complainant mentioned that Alka Sharma took the notice and went into Harpreet Singh’s office. Shortly after, the complainant was also called into the office, where Harpreet Singh, PCS, demanded a bribe of Rs 30,000 in exchange for dismissing the notice. The complainant recorded the conversation related to the bribe demand and submitted it as evidence to the Bureau.

He further added that following a preliminary enquiry, the VB formed a team that included the complainant, an official shadow witness, and official witnesses, and laid a trap.

During the operation, Alka Sharma, the computer operator, was caught red-handed accepting the bribe from the complainant in the presence of official witnesses, but Harpreet Singh, the Assistant Labor Commissioner, was not found in the office.

The spokesperson informed that a case under prevention of corruption act has been registered against both the accused at the Bureau’s Jalandhar Range Police Station.

Raids are being conducted at various locations to apprehend Harpreet Singh, PCS, the Assistant Labour Commissioner, Hoshiarpur. Further investigation into the case is ongoing, he said.