Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) legislator Raman Arora has been sent to five days of police remand after being arrested for allegedly engaging in corruption in collaboration with an official of the Jalandhar Municipal Corporation.
Arora was presented before a local court in Jalandhar on Saturday. While the Vigilance Bureau had sought a 10-day remand, the court approved a five-day period, according to Arora’s counsel, Darshan Singh.
The arrest followed a raid conducted by the Vigilance Bureau at Arora's residence in Jalandhar on Friday, during which he was taken into custody after being questioned.
Arora, 54, currently serves as the MLA from the Jalandhar Central Assembly constituency.
A spokesperson for the Vigilance Bureau stated that Arora was apprehended by the Jalandhar Range Office for his alleged involvement in corrupt activities in coordination with a municipal official.
The spokesperson stated that the Punjab Vigilance Bureau received a joint complaint on May 14 from three office-bearers of the Engineers and Building Designer Association, Jalandhar, alleging that Jalandhar Municipal Corporation Assistant Town Planner (ATP) Sukhdev Vashisht frequently demanded illegal gratification from them.
The complaint claimed that Vashisht often threatened people within his jurisdiction by warning that their buildings would be sealed and demolished. It was also alleged that he had numerous files pending with him, despite these being cleared by other departments of the Municipal Corporation.
Following an investigation of the complaint, the Vigilance Bureau’s Jalandhar Range registered an FIR on May 14 under Section 7 of the Prevention of Corruption Act against Vashisht. The FIR was filed based on the complaint by Sunil Katyal, President of the Engineers and Building Designer Association, Jalandhar. Subsequently, the Vigilance Bureau arrested Vashisth and proceeded with its investigation.
"During the search of the office premises and residence of the arrested ATP Sukhdev Vashisth, among other incriminating documents and material evidence, hundreds of official notices for unauthorised construction and related matters were recovered from his personal possession and office records," he said.
The spokesperson said further investigation revealed that a unique modus operandi was being followed by the arrested official in connivance with a local politician "for extorting money from people of the (Jalandhar) city and indulging in corruption".
"The arrested ATP at the behest and in consultation with MLA Raman Arora would identify constructed or under-construction buildings, both commercial as well as residential and serve them notices for alleged violations," the spokesperson said.
"When the building owners or their representatives would approach the concerned official, he would direct them to the said MLA. The said MLA would then settle the matter by taking illegal gratification," he added.
The spokesperson said that "upon receiving an affirmative message from the MLA, the files would be consigned by the accused ATP and no action initiated". "Nearly 75-80 such notices related to the said nexus have been recovered. The same modus operandi would be followed in clearing other files too," he added.
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