In a significant crackdown on graft, the Punjab Vigilance Bureau has revealed that it apprehended a total of 187 individuals, including 144 government officials and 43 private persons, during the calendar year 2025. The arrests were made following successful traps laid in 127 separate cases, underscoring the bureau's aggressive zero-tolerance policy against corruption.
Department-Wise Breakdown of Arrests
The bureau provided a detailed breakdown of the officials caught red-handed while accepting bribes. The Punjab Police led the list with 43 personnel arrested, highlighting a serious internal challenge. The revenue department saw 20 arrests, while the power department had 21. Other affected departments included Panchayats and Rural Development (14), Transport (9), Local Bodies (8), with Forest and Health departments recording 5 arrests each. Three officials from the Mandi Board were also nabbed.
Furthermore, the vigilance spokesperson informed that employees from the Education, Co-operation, Food & Civil Supplies, and Personnel departments were also caught in the graft net. Among the 144 officials arrested, 18 were gazetted officers and 126 were non-gazetted officials.
Legal Action and Convictions
The legal machinery moved swiftly against the accused. The bureau registered 113 criminal cases against them, which included 17 gazetted and 98 non-gazetted officers. Additionally, 38 vigilance inquiries were initiated to probe complaints against 52 individuals, and 10 disproportionate assets cases were filed.
The year's efforts yielded substantial convictions. Competent courts sentenced 63 accused in 34 cases pursued by the bureau under the Prevention of Corruption Act. This list included three gazetted officers, 38 non-gazetted officers, and 22 private persons. The corrupt officials faced imprisonment ranging from one to five years, with courts imposing fines from Rs 5,000 to Rs 2.01 lakh, totalling Rs 18.71 lakh. Six non-gazetted officers were dismissed from service following conviction.
High-Profile Names and Public Response
The anti-corruption drive did not spare high-profile individuals. The list of prominent persons booked or arrested included former minister Bikram Singh Majithia, MLA Raman Arora, and IPS officer Harcharan Singh Bhullar. Several PCS officers, a GST assistant commissioner, engineers, medical officers, and multiple Block Development Officers were also among those apprehended.
Public participation in reporting corruption was notable. The vigilance bureau received 6,158 complaints during 2025, of which 363 came through the dedicated anti-corruption helpline. The bureau also concluded 65 vigilance inquiries within the year, demonstrating its operational capacity.
This comprehensive action throughout 2025 sends a strong message about the state's commitment to rooting out corruption from public service and highlights the ongoing challenges across multiple departments.
