Punjab Vigilance Bureau (VB) on Wednesday arrested one more absconding accused agent Varinder Singh Deepu who colluded with Jalandhar’s Motor Vehicle Inspector (MVI) Naresh Kaler in the vehicle fitness certificates scam.
The VB has confiscated Deepu’s mobile phone and SIM card which would be sent to the data experts to gather more information about the scam.
“The Bureau had conducted a surprise check in the office of Jalandhar MVI and exposed an organized corruption for issuing or receiving fitness certificates without conducting inspection of commercial and private vehicles on a large scale in connivance with the private agents,” said the VB spokesperson.
Giving details, the spokesperson said that the VB, on the basis of sufficient evidence, registered a case August 23, 2022, under sections 7 and 7A of Prevention of Corruption Act and 420, 120-B of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) at VB police station Jalandhar.
In this case, total nine accused have already been arrested and are behind bars, including MVI Naresh Kaler, along with private agents — Rampal alias Radhe, Mohan Lal alias Kalu, Paramjit Singh Bedi, Surjit Singh, Harvinder Singh, Pankaj Dhingra alias Bholu, Brijpal Singh alias Ricky, and Arvind Kumar and Bindu.
Further investigation of this case was under progress and the remaining absconding accused would be arrested soon, added the spokesperson.