CBI arrests Jalandhar Passport Officer and two APOs in bribery case

JALANDHAR: CBI arrested Jalandhar Regional Passport Officer Anup Singh and two Assistant Passport Officers Hari Om and Sanjay Srivastava in a bribery case related to issuance of a passport and searches at their residences have already yielded cash worth Rs 20 lakh.

A week back Rajya Sabha member Baba Balbir Singh Seechewal also wrote to External Affairs minister S. Jaishankar that people were facing troubles at RPO Jalandhar and they were landing in the traps of touts active around the office who would then loot them.

CBI issued a statement on Friday informing that they registered a case against an Assistant Passport Officer, Office of Regional Passport Office, Jalandhar on a complaint. “It was alleged that the complainant had applied for fresh passports in respect of his grand-daughter and grand-son. When the complainant, allegedly, met the accused APO to check status of the said two passports, accused demanded a bribe of Rs. 25,000 for issuance of passport. It was further alleged that the accused informed the complainant that the bribe amount was accepted on the directions of RPO and another APO and the same is shared between them,” CBI said.

The central agency laid trap and apprehended accused APO red handed while demanding and accepting bribe of Rs.25,000 Subsequently, RPO and another APO of Regional Passport Office, Jalandhar were also arrested.

In his letter to Jaishankar, Seechewal said that he had received complaints from NRIs also about the troubles at the RPO. He said that despite central government’s clear directions over solving small issues, people were being troubled. He also mentioned a complaint given by local activist Gaurav Luthra stating that allegations in it were very serious.

Seechewal had urged the minister to look into the allegations and take strict action against the guilty officers and employees.

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