Name of the IAS officer: Sanjay Popli
Charges against him: Corruption, disproportionate assets
Date of remand: July 18, 2023
Court that granted the remand: Chief Judicial Magistrate, Mohali
Reason for the remand: To further investigate the case and collect more evidence
The Punjab Vigilance Bureau had arrested Popli on August 6, 2022, on charges of corruption and disproportionate assets. The bureau had alleged that Popli had demanded a bribe of Rs. 3.5 lakh from a contractor in exchange for allotting him a tender. Popli’s son, Kartik, had died of a gunshot wound in the head on June 25, 2023, while the Vigilance Bureau was conducting a search at his house in Chandigarh.
The Punjab Vigilance Bureau had produced Popli in court on July 18, 2023, and sought his remand for further investigation. The court granted the remand for two days. The bureau will now be interrogating Popli to gather more evidence against him.
The case against Popli has generated a lot of interest in Punjab. The opposition parties have accused the government of shielding Popli and have demanded his immediate dismissal. The government has denied the allegations and said that it is committed to taking action against corruption.
The remand of Popli is a significant development in the case. It will be interesting to see what evidence the bureau is able to gather against him during the remand period.