Sanjay Popli was arrested after a contractor’s complaint that he, along with another official, asked for a cut of 1 per cent for clearance of tenders for laying sewerage pipeline at Nawanshehar
After arresting a sitting Cabinet minister, a former minister and an MLA on charges of corruption, Punjab Vigilance Bureau on Monday arrested 2008-batch IAS officer Sanjay Popli, posted as Director Pensions, Government of Punjab, in an alleged corruption case.
The arrest was made following a complaint by a contractor on an anti-corruption helpline. The contractor posted video proof to show that Popli was demanding the second instalment of a kickback in allotment of a tender pertaining to sewerage works from him. Popli was CEO of Punjab Sewerage Board before he was transferred as Director Pensions in May.
Sandeep Wats, who was posted as the assistant secretary in the board, has also been arrested.
Karnal resident Sanjay Kumar, a government contractor with a firm under the name of Dikhadala Cooperative Society Limited, in his complaint against Poplin and Wats stated that the duo had demanded a cut of 1 per cent for clearance of tenders for laying of sewerage pipeline at Nawanshehar.
He also alleged that he had been allotted the tender for Rs 7.30 crore. On January 12, he allegedly received a call on WhatsApp from Wats saying that Popli had demanded Rs 7 lakh for tender allotment. Scared, he withdrew Rs 3.5 lakh from his PNB account and allegedly handed over the same to Wats in a car at Sector 20, Chandigarh. Wats called Popli on his WhatsApp number regarding having received the payment and also took Rs 5,000 for himself, the complaint said.
Kumar made a video recording of the entire conversation. Wats allegedly called him again a number of times for the remaining Rs 3.5 lakh but he refused.
The Vigilance Bureau has registered a case under Prevention of Corruption Act based on the statement of Kumar as well as the video evidence submitted by him against Popli and Wats. Popli was arrested from his Sector 20 residence in Chandigarh on Monday evening.
Vigilance sources said that Popli was being interrogated and many skeletons were likely to tumble out of his closet. They said that after Kumar’s complaint, a similar complaint from Abohar has also been received.
Popli’s arrest came days after the Vigilance Bureau had arrested sitting Health Minister Dr Vijay Singla, former minister Sadhu Singh Dharamsot, Divisional Forest Officer Guramanpreet Singh, and former MLA Joginder Pal Bhoa.
