Punjab Vigilance Bureau Catches Pathankot SHO Red-Handed While Allegedly Accepting Rs 1 Lakh Bribe in Rs 2.5 Lakh Deal:

The Punjab Vigilance Bureau has arrested Inspector Gulshan Kumar, Station House Officer (SHO) of Dhar Kalan police station in Pathankot, for allegedly accepting a bribe of Rs 1 lakh. He was caught while taking the money as the first instalment of a total bribe demand of Rs 2.5 lakh.

The arrest comes shortly after a Punjab Police constable was arrested and 15 kg of heroin was seized. These incidents have raised concerns about corruption and misconduct within parts of the police force.

According to the Vigilance Bureau, the case began after a retired LIC manager from Amritsar filed a complaint. He said that a quarrel had taken place at his younger brother’s restaurant in Pathankot district. Following the incident, police registered an FIR against a restaurant worker and three unidentified people. Although the complainant was not named as an accused, his name reportedly came up during the investigation as a suspicious person.

The complainant alleged that Inspector Gulshan Kumar initially demanded Rs 5 lakh to remove his name from the case. After negotiations, the amount was reduced to Rs 2.5 lakh, which was to be paid in instalments. The complainant also submitted recordings of the alleged bribe demand to the Vigilance Bureau.

Acting on the complaint, the Vigilance Bureau’s Pathankot team set a trap and caught the SHO while he was allegedly accepting Rs 1 lakh from the complainant. Two official witnesses were present during the operation, and the bribe money was recovered at the spot.

A case has been registered against Inspector Gulshan Kumar under the Prevention of Corruption Act at the Vigilance Bureau police station in Amritsar.