Punjab mining officer arrested for allegedly taking Rs 50,000 bribe from contractor

Chandigarh, Oct 8 (UNI) The Punjab Vigilance Bureau on Thursday arrested a mining department sub-divisional officer in Patiala district for allegedly accepting a Rs 50,000 bribe from a contractor to avoid issuing challans against overloaded vehicles. The accused, Hardeep Singh, was posted at Nabha and was arrested following a complaint from a contractor belonging to Alipur Arian village. According to the bureau, the officer allegedly threatened to penalise the contractor's overloaded tipper trucks unless the demanded payment was made. "The accused SDO Hardeep Singh was arrested red-handed while accepting bribe money of Rs 50,000 from the complainant in the presence…