Vigilance Bureau Arrests Accused Red-Handed, Probe Expands to Senior Medical Officer
Amritsar: In a major crackdown on corruption, a homeopathic doctor has been arrested by the Vigilance Bureau (VB) in Patiala district for allegedly accepting a bribe of ₹3.5 lakh. The doctor, identified as Dr Sumit Singh, was caught red-handed in Tarn Taran while receiving the amount, which was allegedly demanded on behalf of a Senior Medical Officer posted at Manawala.
The arrest followed a complaint filed by Ashok Kumar, who alleged that the doctor had initially demanded ₹5 lakh to settle a case registered under the Pre-Conception and Pre-Natal Diagnostic Techniques (PNDT) Act and the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act. After negotiation, the bribe amount was reduced to ₹3.5 lakh.
VB Nabs Accused During Bribe Transaction at NGO Office
According to a VB spokesperson, Dr Singh was arrested from the office of the Sarhadi Lok Sewa Samitee, a national-level NGO working on issues including women’s empowerment and dowry prevention. The arrest was made in the presence of two independent government witnesses, with the doctor allegedly caught in the act of receiving the bribe.
Voice Recording Presented as Evidence
As part of the investigation, the complainant submitted a voice recording capturing his conversation with Dr Singh. The recording is said to corroborate the bribery allegations and played a key role in building the case.
Following his arrest, Dr Singh was taken into custody and booked at the Mohali Vigilance Bureau police station. Authorities have now launched a wider investigation into the involvement of the Senior Medical Officer and other individuals potentially linked to the bribery network.
This case adds to a series of recent high-profile arrests made by anti-corruption agencies, underscoring the Vigilance Bureau’s intensified efforts to clamp down on graft in the healthcare sector.
