Vigilance Bureau nabs national urban livelihood mission district manager taking Rs.7,000 bribe from widow employee

Chandigarh, September 29, 2023: In line with the Punjab government's steadfast commitment to eradicating corruption, as instructed by Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, the Punjab Vigilance Bureau (VB) during its resolute campaign against corruption on Friday successfully apprehended Sonu Goyal, District Manager (Technical Expert) at the City Mission Management (CMM) Unit of the National Urban Livelihood Mission (NULM) under the Municipal Corporation in Bathinda  while accepting a bribe of Rs. 7,000.

Disclosing this here today a spokesperson of the VB said the Bureau is committed to eradicate the corruption from the public offices ensuring that corrupt practices should be effectively dealt with in the state. Giving details he informed that the above said accused was arrested on a complaint lodged by Gurpreet Kaur, resident of Parasram Nagar, Bathinda. According to the complaint, Gurpreet Kaur, who had been seeking employment after her husband's passing, had initially approached Madam Gitanjali, the CMM of NULM in Bathinda who directed her to meet Sonu Goyal, the aforementioned District Manager.

Subsequently, Sonu Goyal facilitated Gurpreet Kaur's placement on a contract basis at the Municipal Corporation, Bathinda under the Urban Learning Internship Program on a fixed monthly salary of Rs. 12,000.

The complainant alleged that on receiving her September salary, Madam Gitanjali demanded a monthly bribe of Rs. 10,000. She has taken an initial bribe of Rs. 3,000 and instructed Gurpreet Kaur to pay the remaining amount to the above mentioned Sonu Goyal. The later threatened to terminate her employment if she failed to pay the outstanding bribe.

He further added that a preliminary investigation into the complaint confirmed that Madam Gitanjali had indeed accepted a bribe of Rs. 3,000 from the complainant. Subsequently, the Vigilance Bureau Range in Bathinda laid a trap that resulted in the apprehension of Sonu Goyal, the District Manager of NULM in Municipal Corporation, Bathinda. He was caught red-handed while receiving the remaining Rs. 7,000 bribe from the complainant.

In light of this incident, a case has been registered against Sonu Goyal and Gitanjali at the Police Station of the Vigilance Bureau, Bathinda Range, under the Prevention of Corruption Act. Further investigations into the matter were currently underway, with efforts being made to apprehend the remaining accused.