Punjab Vigilance Bureau Nabs PUNBUS Superintendent for Bribe

In a strong move against corruption, the Punjab Vigilance Bureau (VB) has arrested Jagjivan Singh, Superintendent at the office of the Director, State Transport and Managing Director of PUNBUS, Sector 17, Chandigarh. He was caught red-handed accepting a bribe of Rs 20,000.

The arrest followed a complaint by a private transporter from village Dharar, Amritsar district, who accused the Superintendent of demanding Rs 5,000 per bus—a total of Rs 20,000—to approve the release of a security deposit of Rs 2 lakh. This deposit was related to four buses the complainant had leased to PUNBUS under a kilometer scheme between 2014 and 2020.

Despite submitting all required documents and obtaining a No Objection Certificate from the Amritsar Depot Manager in May 2023, the refund process was delayed for three years on trivial grounds. The complainant recorded the conversation with the Superintendent, providing clear evidence of the bribery demand.

After conducting a preliminary investigation, the VB flying squad set up a trap and caught Jagjivan Singh accepting the bribe outside his office in the presence of two official witnesses. A case has been registered under the Prevention of Corruption Act at the VB Police Station Flying Squad-1 in Mohali.

The Vigilance Bureau is continuing investigations to determine if any higher-ranking officials were involved in the extortion. The VB also reiterated its strict zero-tolerance stance on corruption and urged citizens to report any such activities through official helpline numbers.

This arrest sends a clear message that the Punjab government is serious about rooting out corruption and ensuring transparency and fairness in public services. Citizens are encouraged to come forward and support these efforts to create a clean and accountable administration.