Accused had earlier taken Rs 50,000 to pass raw material samples
Chandigarh, April 29, 2025 – In a major crackdown under the zero-tolerance policy against corruption spearheaded by Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann led Punjab Government, the Punjab Vigilance Bureau (VB) on Tuesday nabbed Shalinder Kumar, Assistant Manager (Quality Assurance), posted at Verka Cattle Feed Plant, Ghanie Ki Banger, in Gurdaspur district, red handed while demanding and accepting a bribe of Rs 25,000.
Disclosing this here today, an official spokesperson of the State VB said the accused was apprehended following a complaint lodged by a resident of Amritsar whose family-run firm has been supplying raw materials to the said Verka plant for over a decade.
The complainant informed the VB that his son has been supplying de-oiled rice bran and de-oiled mustard to the Verka Cattle Feed Plant for the past 10–12 years. He alleged that the accused official was demanding bribe money to clear their recent consignment, threatening to otherwise raise baseless objections and blacklist the firm from qualifying in future tenders.
The spokesperson revealed that in response to an e-mailed demand notice dated March 28, 2025, the complainant had sent six trucks loaded with raw material to the plant. The accused initially demanded Rs 1,00,000 to pass the consignment but the bribe was settled at Rs 75,000, to be paid in three installments. As per the complaint the official had already received Rs 50,000 in two installments and was demanding the remaining Rs 25,000.
He further added that following a verification of the complaint, the VB team laid a successful trap and apprehended the accused red-handed while he was receiving the third installment of Rs 25,000 from the complainant in the presence of two official witnesses.
In this regard a case under the Prevention of Corruption Act has been registered against the accused at the VB Police Station, Range Amritsar. He would be produced before the competent court tomorrow and further investigations into this case was under progress, he said.
