Chandigarh: Former Punjab Chief Secretary, retired IAS officer VK Janjua, will face corruption charges. The Central government has approved the prosecution of him in a bribery case of Rs 5 lakh. The case dates back to 2009. At that time, he was the Director-cum-Secretary of the Industries and Commerce Department. During this period, he was caught taking bribe. Now the case will be heard in a special court.
According to information, the Personnel and Training Department has approved the prosecution under Sections 7 and 13(2) of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988. The order said that prima facie evidence has been found in the investigation. The Central government gave this approval after reviewing the recommendation of the Punjab government, the advice of the Central Vigilance Commission and the investigation report. Additional Solicitor General Satpal Jain, representing the central government, gave this information during the hearing in the high court on Friday. The petition sought action to deny sanction for the trial.
What was the entire case against Janjua?
The case relates to FIR No. 9 registered in the Punjab Vigilance Bureau, Mohali on November 9, 2009. The complainant, Tulsi Ram Mishra, a resident of Ludhiana, alleged that a bribe of Rs 5 lakh was demanded for the allotment of vacant land adjacent to his plot.
The complainant said that he had been applying for land allotment since 2001, but was repeatedly refused on the ground of non-availability of land. During the investigation of the complaint, the Vigilance Bureau laid a trap.
On November 9, 2009, the complainant handed over Rs 2 lakh filled with phenolphthalein powder to the accused. When his hands were washed during the raid, the solution turned pink, confirming the bribe. The team also seized cash, related files and the vehicle's logbook from the spot. Now after getting the approval of the central government, the regular hearing of the case will begin in the court.