Ravinder Saini

Jhajjar, May 4

A preliminary probe conducted by the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB), Haryana, into a case pertaining to issuance and renewal of arms licences in consideration for bribe has found five licences doubtful.

"These licences were issued from 2018 to 2022 and the probe indicates that corrupt practice was followed while issuing/renewing these. Hence, details regarding the licences are being procured for further investigation," said a senior official of the ACB.

Last month, the bureau registered a case under Section 7A of the Prevention of Corruption Act and Section 120-B of the IPC against Sandeep (alias Kalu Pandit) of Naurang village, Personal Assistant (PA) Manbir and former PA Kanta at the Deputy Commissioner (DC) office, ASI Jitender, a licensee clerk at the Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) office in Jhajjar.

As per the FIR, the ACB received a tip-off that Sandeep, in collusion with employees at the DC and DCP offices in Jhajjar, was taking bribe in lieu of issuing and renewing arms licences.

"When ACB officials inspected the arms licence branc, a private person (Sandeep) was found present there. On checking, two cell phones were found in his possession. He had also made WhatsApp chats related to arms licences and money transactions," sources added.

On being questioned, Sandeep said he used to take money from applicants in lieu of getting their arms licences made and kept deleting the chats and call history on WhatsApp. He claimed that PA Manbir, former PA Kanta and ASI Jitender were also involved in the illegal practice.

"Thereafter, Sandeep was arrested and both phones were seized for further investigation. We learnt about five doubtful arms licences after investigating the WhatsApp chat and interrogating Sandeep," said the official.