Punjab Vigilance Bureau arrests Batala Commisioner-cum-SDM in Rs 50,000 bribery case
₹13.5 lakh unaccounted cash seized
Babushahi Bureau
Chandigarh, November 22, 2025 –In a major action against corruption, the Punjab Vigilance Bureau (VB) on Friday arrested Vikramjeet Singh Panthey, Commissioner of the Municipal Corporation Batala and SDM Batala, after he was caught red-handed accepting a bribe of ₹50,000. The VB later recovered ₹13.5 lakh in unaccounted cash from his possession during a subsequent search.
A VB spokesperson said the complainant, a resident of Batala in Gurdaspur district, had completed patchwork and road repair projects for the Municipal Corporation.
For these works, he had submitted two bills amounting to ₹3,72,852. When he approached the Commissioner regarding the pending payments, Panthey allegedly demanded a 10% commission—₹37,000—to clear the bills.
The spokesperson added that the complainant had also carried out camera and related technical work for a light and sound show in Batala, for which an additional ₹1,81,543 was pending.
This brought the total amount due to approximately ₹5,54,395. When the complainant met SDO Rohit Uppal, he was told that payments would be cleared only after giving a 9% commission, as per the Commissioner’s directions. Unwilling to pay bribes, the complainant approached the Vigilance Bureau.
After recording the complainant’s statement at the VB Unit in Gurdaspur and verifying the allegations, the Bureau laid a trap. Panthey was apprehended while accepting the bribe in the presence of two official witnesses.
A case under relevant sections of the Prevention of Corruption Act has been registered at the Vigilance Bureau Police Station, Range Amritsar. The accused will be produced in court on Saturday. Further investigation is underway.