Chandigarh, August 6, 2025: In a significant breakthrough in its ongoing campaign against corruption, the Punjab Vigilance Bureau (VB) has busted a bribery racket involving revenue officials and deed writers in Bhikiwind, district Tarn Taran.
The Bureau on Wednesday arrested Sawinder Singh, a Registry Clerk, and Malkeet Singh, a Deed Writer, both posted in Bhikiwind, for allegedly demanding and accepting a bribe of ₹37,000 from a local resident.
According to an official spokesperson of the Vigilance Bureau, the arrests were made based on a complaint filed by Gurbhej Singh, a resident of village Bhikiwind. The complainant reported that 2 kanals and 2 marlas of his agricultural land were wrongly transferred to his relatives during the division of ancestral property. Despite completing all official formalities, paying the required government fees, and procuring stamp papers back in April 2025, he was unable to get the registry executed in his name.
Gurbhej Singh approached Malkeet Singh, the deed writer, to process the registry. However, Malkeet allegedly got his appointment cancelled from the Tehsildar on April 24, 2025, without any valid reason. Upon further inquiry, the complainant discovered that Registry Clerk Sawinder Singh was demanding ₹32,000 as a bribe to process the case.
Unwilling to pay a bribe for rightful ownership of his land, Gurbhej Singh approached DSP, Vigilance Bureau Unit Tarn Taran. Based on his complaint and a formal statement, the VB team laid a trap and caught Sawinder Singh red-handed while accepting ₹37,000 in the presence of official witnesses.
An FIR has been registered against the accused under Sections 7 and 7-A of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988, as amended by the PC (Amendment) Act, at Police Station Vigilance Bureau, Range Amritsar.
The case is currently under investigation. Both accused will be produced before the competent court on Thursday.
