Punjab Vigilance Bureau  reported to have arrested one IAS Officer Sanjay Popli Director Pensions  and a Superintendent Sanjay Vats on charge of corruption on Monday.

Sources said both were arrested on accepting Rs. 3 lacs and also demanding three more lacs from a contractor. Vigilance Bureau took the action on behalf of Video clip provided by the Contractor.  Vigilance had received complaint against both the officers demanding Rs. 1 percent commission on passing the bill on allotted he work of crores of ruppes during Sanjay Popli's tenure as  CEO in Punjab Water supply and Sewerage Board, Chandigarh.

Kumar alleged that after he was allotted the tender for  Rs.7.3 crore, he received a call from Wats on January 13, 2022, stating that Popli had demanded a bribe of Rs. 7 lakh. Contractor alleged that he withdrew Rs.3.5 lakh from his bank account and handed it over to Wats in a car at Sector 20, Chandigarh. Wats called Popli to inform him about the payment and even took Rs. Five thousands for himself. 

 

The case has been registered  at Vigilance Police Station Mohali yesterday. Both the accused will be produced before Distt. Court Mohali on Tuesday.  

The 2008-batch IAS officer was arrested in a bribery case pertaining to allotment of tenders when he was posted as the chief executive officer of the Punjab Water Supply and Sewerage Board. Sandeep Wats, who was posted as the assistant secretary in the board, has also been arrested. 

Thr arrest was made on the basis of a complaint filed by a Karnal-based government contractor, Sanjay Kumar, against Popli and Wats, accusing them of demanding a 1 percent commission for clearance of bills for tenders allotted for laying a sewerage pipeline at Nawanshahr. 

Kumar alleged that after he was allotted the tender for  Rs.7.3 crore, he received a call from Wats on January 13, 2022, stating that Popli had demanded a bribe of Rs. 7 lakh. Contractor alleged that he withdrew Rs.3.5 lakh from his bank account and handed it over to Wats in a car at Sector 20, Chandigarh. Wats called Popli to inform him about the payment and even took Rs. Five thousands for himself. 

The contractor reportedly made a video recording of the conversation, and submitted it to the Vigilance Buresu  It was alleged that Wats again called Kumar a number of times for the remaining amount, but he refused.  

It may be add that after taking charge as the Chief Minister, Bhagwant Mann launched the anti-corruption helpline number 9501200200 and appealed to the people of Punjab to share complaints pertaining to corruption via WhatsApp so that the state could be made corruption-free. Since the launch of the helpline number of prominent people including State Health Minister Vijay Singla, former Congress Minister Sadhu Singh Dharamsot, and former Congress MLA Joginder Pal has been arrested on corruption charges.