Chandigarh, Jan 1 (NationPress) The Punjab Vigilance Bureau (VB) has detained 173 individuals for involvement in various bribery cases throughout 2024, according to Chief Director-cum-Special DGP Varinder Kumar on Wednesday.

The detainees comprise 139 government officials and 34 private individuals who were caught in the act during 134 trap operations.

Upholding a strict zero-tolerance approach towards corruption, the Bureau has apprehended 10 gazetted officers and 129 non-gazetted officers.

Kumar noted that among those arrested, 53 personnel from the Punjab Police, 33 from the Revenue Department, 9 from the Power Department, 3 from Panchayats and Rural Development, 8 from the Health Department, 18 from the Local Bodies Department, and 3 from the Food and Civil Supply Department were caught accepting bribes.

Additionally, the VB apprehended two employees each from the Forest Department, Labour, Finance, and Transport Departments in corruption-related cases.

Providing further details, the VB filed 124 criminal cases against the accused, which include 29 gazetted officers, 117 non-gazetted officers, and 117 private individuals.

Moreover, 60 vigilance inquiries have been initiated to investigate corruption allegations against 26 gazetted officers, 27 non-gazetted officers, and 7 private individuals.

Furthermore, three cases of Disproportionate Assets were registered against three non-gazetted officers.

Additionally, one gazetted officer and one non-gazetted officer faced dismissal from service due to convictions by competent courts in relation to the VB cases.

Kumar elaborated that various competent courts have handed down sentences to 50 accused in 41 cases prosecuted by the Bureau under the Prevention of Corruption Act, including three gazetted officers, 31 non-gazetted officers, and 16 private individuals, with prison terms ranging from one year to seven years.

Additionally, the courts have imposed fines ranging from Rs 5,000 to Rs 500,000, amounting to a total of Rs 22.42 lakh, as reported by Kumar.