RTI activist arrested for accepting bribe

BATHINDA RESIDENT GURDEV SINGH ACCUSED OF TAKING MONEY FOR WITHDRAWING HIS CASE FROM THE PANEL

CHANDIGARH: A right to information (RTI) activist was on Monday arrested for allegedly accepting a bribe from a school principal for withdrawing his case from the RTI Commission.

Chief information commissioner (CIC), Punjab, SS Channy handed over Gurdev Singh, a resident of Bathinda, to the police for allegedly taking ₹10,000 as bribe from a respondent to withdraw his case, an official release said.

During court proceeding of the State Information Commissioner Preety Chawla here, Gurdev told the court that the case may be closed.

During the hearing, respondent Pritam Singh, lecturer and in-charge principal of Government Girls’ Senior Secondary School, Mandi Kalan in Bathinda, said he paid bribe to Gurdev in the commission premises to withdraw the case.

He also said he took a photocopy of the currency notes before paying them to the appellant.

When questioned by the court, Gurdev confessed to have accepted money from the principal.

Subsequently, Chawla brought the whole episode to the notice of the CIC.

Taking cognisance of the matter, Channy wrote to senior superintendent of police, Chandigarh, for taking action in this regard. On the directions of the SSP, both principal and activist were handed over to the police, the release said.