Vigilance Bureau submits chargesheet against Bathinda Rural MLA, aide

The Punjab Vigilance Bureau (VB) has submitted a charge sheet against Bathinda Rural MLA, Amit Ratan Kotfatta, and his Personal Assistant Rashim Garg in the Bathinda court. The case had been filed on 16 February bearing FIR no. 1 under sections 7, 7A of the Prevention of Corruption Act and section 120-B of the IPC by the Vigilance Bureau police station, Bathinda range.
A Vigilance Bureau official said that on 16 February, the anti-corruption bureau had filed a graft case against the Personal Assistant of Bhatinda Rural MLA in a corruption case after he was arrested red-handed while accepting a bribe of Rs. 4 lakh.
Later, the MLA was also arrested in the said case as the Personal Assistant of the law maker was seeking bribe on his behalf.
Earlier, it came to light that a grant of Rs 25 Lakh had been issued by the government under the 15th Finance Commission during the year 2022-23 to Ghuda village of Bathinda. Later, the Private Assistant Rashim Garg had sought a bribe of Rs 5 lakh from the Sarpanch of the said village to facilitate the said grant.
Apart from this, he had also received a bribe of Rs 2,50,000 from Gurdas Singh of village Ghuda in lieu of getting him the Numberdari of his village. On the basis of findings of alleged bribes, the VB had added another section of 120-B of IPC in the said case and filed the case against MLA Amit Ratan and thereafter arrested him on February 2 from Shambhu. Both the accused are in judicial custody and are in jail. Further investigation is on.