Punjab: Two corrupt IAS officers, yet the bureaucracy only holds the government to ransom for one instance.

While Neelima has only been booked, the Vigilance Bureau had booked and arrested IAS officer Sanjay Popli in June last year, that too without seeking sanction from the Chief Minister under section 17 of Prevention of Corruption Act.

Registration of a case under Prevention of Corruption Act against IAS officer Neelima is second such case against IAS officers in Punjab after Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government took over the reins of the state in March this year.

While Neelima has been booked by the Vigilance Bureau, (right) Sanjay Popli was arrested.

While Neelima has only been booked, the Vigilance Bureau had booked and arrested IAS officer Sanjay Popli in June last year, that too without seeking sanction from the Chief Minister under section 17 of Prevention of Corruption Act.

However, no IAS officer protested at that time even as he was arrested for allegedly demanding a commission of 1 per cent for clearing a tender for laying sewerage pipes in Nawanshahr. Four days after the arrest, the Vigilance Bureau recovered over 12 kg gold, 3 kg silver, four iPhones, one Samsung fold-phone and two Samsung smartwatches from the storeroom of his residence in Chandigarh’s Sector 11. In Neelima’s case, however, there have been protests by the IAS fraternity and Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann has already directed Chief Secretary Vijay Kumar Janjua to check whether the Vigilance Bureau took prior sanction of the state government before booking her in a case related to alleged transfer of an industrial plot to a real estate firm. Janjua is expected to submit the report on Wednesday.

Meanwhile, the Vigilance officials are preparing their defence in the case. It is learnt that the Vigilance officials have quoted a few Supreme Court judgments to prove that they did not need sanction under Section 17 for acting in an alleged corruption case. Read more on..