CHANDIGARH: Former Punjab minister Sunder Sham Arora was arrested by the state Vigilance Bureau for allegedly offering a bribe of Rs 50 lakh to one of its officers to “settle” the ongoing inquiries involving him, a senior official said on Sunday.
The case involved “irregularities” in the allotment of industrial plots of the Punjab Small Industries and Export Corporation, including, the auction of industrial land which was earlier allotted to JCT.
Arora recently joined BJP and is the third former minister to be arrested by the AAP government. Two former ministers were earlier arrested in alleged corruption cases.
Arora has been facing inquiries in a disproportionate assets case and alleged irregularities during his tenure as industries minister in the previous Capt Amarinder Singh government. He joined the BJP after quitting Congress in June this year. Vigilance Bureau officials reportedly recovered the bribe money that Arora had allegedly offered to vigilance officials to let him go scot-free.
Additional DGP-cum-Chief Director (Vigilance Bureau), Varinder Kumar said a case under Section 8 of the Prevention of Corruption Act has been registered against Arora on the complaint of Manmohan Kumar Sharma, Assistant Inspector General of Police (Vigilance Bureau), Flying Squad.
In his complaint, Kumar said Arora met him last Friday and offered him Rs 1 crore to clear his name in a vigilance case registered against him. Varinder said the former minister had offered to pay Rs 50 lakh next day and the remaining amount later. “After Sharma brought it to the notice of his seniors, a trap was laid to arrest Arora. He was caught red-handed when he tried to hand over a bag containing Rs 50 lakh cash.
Irregularities in plot allottment
The case involved irregularities in the allotment of industrial plots of the Punjab Small Industries and Export Corporation, including, the auction of industrial land, which was earlier allotted to JCT. Arora recently joined BJP and is the third former minister to be arrested by the AAP government