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Arora have been arrested on charges of demanding money in exchange for performing official duties at the Municipal Corporation
AAP MLA Raman Arora’s residence was raided on Friday by the Punjab Vigilance Bureau (PVB). (Image via X)
The Punjab Vigilance Bureau (VB) on Friday raided the residence of Raman Arora, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MLA from Jalandhar Central, and arrested him on charges of demanding money in exchange for performing official duties at the Municipal Corporation, as well as issuing extortion threats.
According to reports, Arora is allegedly linked to corruption involving Sukhdev Vashisht, the former Assistant Town Planner (ATP) of the Jalandhar Municipal Corporation.
Vashisht was caught red-handed last week while accepting a bribe of Rs 30,000. It is believed that Arora used Vashisht to issue fake notices and extort money from local residents.
Arora has faced multiple complaints accusing him of accepting gratification from the public. Sunny Ahluwalia, AAP leader and Sewerage Board Chairman, confirmed that Arora was arrested following the raid at his home in Jalandhar city. However, a government spokesperson later stated that Arora had not been officially arrested yet.
Prior to the arrest, Arora’s official security was withdrawn by the government on May 13. He had a security detail of 14 police officers. Responding to the withdrawal, Arora said it was the government’s prerogative.
Earlier, the Vigilance Bureau had arrested ATP Vashisht for demanding bribes in return for approving files. Despite approving 70% of building maps in the area, Vashisht allegedly refused to clear certain files unless bribes were paid.
“A complainant reported that Vashisht demanded Rs 30,000 from an applicant to process his application,” said a spokesperson for the Vigilance Bureau. “He apparently threatened them to seal buildings during inspections. He also reportedly claimed that he was not afraid of any potential transfer.”
Following a preliminary investigation, the Vigilance Bureau registered a case under the Prevention of Corruption Act against Vashisht and took him into custody. The investigation into the case involving Raman Arora is ongoing.
(With inputs from IANS)
- Location :
Punjab, India, India
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