Punjab: Former Minister Arrested For Offering Bribe Of Rs 50 Lakh To Vigilance Bureau Officer

Former Industries minister of Punjab Sundar Sham Arora was arrested by the Vigilance Bureau (VB) of the state for allegedly offering a bribe of Rs 50 lakh to its officer.

Former Punjab Minister Sundar Sham Arora has been facing inquiries in a disproportionate assets case and alleged irregularities during his tenure as industries minister.

Source : Twitter/@Gagan4344

New Delhi: Former minister of Industries and Commerce and a member of Bharatiya Janta Party (BJP) Sundar Sham Arora, was arrested by the Vigilance Bureau (VB) in Punjab for allegedly offering a bribe of Rs 50 lakh its Assistant Inspector General (AIG) to settle cases against him. 

Arora has been facing inquiries in a disproportionate assets case and alleged irregularities during his tenure as industries minister in the previous Congress government. He joined the BJP after quitting the Congress in June this year.

The Bureau said that an FIR has been registered against him under section 8 of the Prevention of Corruption Act on the statement of AIG, Vigilance Bureau, Flying Squad, Punjab Manmohan Kumar.

Vigilance Bureau arrests Punjab's ex-min Sundar Sham Arora for offering Rs50 lakhs bribe to Manmohan Kumar,AIG in connection to a vigilance enquiry against him.FIR registered under Prevention of Corruption Act, Rs50 lakhs bribe money recovered from accused: Vigilance Bureau Punjab pic.twitter.com/kilYnjgiTe

— ANI (@ANI) October 16, 2022

According to news agency PTI, Arora allegedly contacted Assistant Inspector General Manmohan Kumar -- who is supervising the inquiries -- on October 14 and told him to clear his name from the cases and offered money in exchange. The former minister offered to pay Rs 1 crore for it.

He offered to pay Rs 50 lakh as the first installment on October 15, and the remaining amount on a later date, the chief director, Varinder Kumar, of the Vigilance Bureau told PTI.

After Kumar told his seniors about the situation, a trap was set to arrest Arora. He was caught red-handed when he tried to hand over a bag containing Rs 50 lakh cash, the CD told PTI.