Bribe case: Day after arrest of civic body SE, role of senior officials under scanner

A day after the arrest of Superintendent Engineer Sanjay Kanwar of the Municipal Corporation, Ludhiana, for demanding bribe from a contractor, the suspect was produced before a court that remanded him in two-day police custody.

Though Vigilance Bureau (VB) officials are mum about the ongoing investigation, sources confirmed that role of some senior officials of the department is also under scanner. Since the recording of conversation of the SE with the contractor cleared that the former was demanding commission to allot tender and during bargaining, the SE was found saying that he had to give share to ‘bada saheb’ (a senior official). Now, the VB is questioning the Kanwar to inquire about the name of the official to whom a share of the bribe was to be given. The Vigilance is also scanning mobile call records of the SE to get any clue about involvement of other officials in the case.

Sources said the VB would also send recording for forensic examination to ascertain that the voice belongs to the Superintendent Engineer.

Notably, when the complainant had approached the VB and alleged that he had applied for a tender for a redevelopement project at Nehru Rose Garden, Civil Lines, here, the SE had demanded 10 per

cent commission as bribe in lieu of allotment of the tender work to him. The conversation was recorded by the complainant and submitted to the Vigilance Bureau as evidence. Following an inquiry, the SE was arrested by the Vigilance Bureau.

Ludhiana