The Punjab Vigilance Bureau has apprehended Dr. Poonam Goyal, the Senior Medical Officer (SMO), and Dr. Gaurav Jain, a BAMS doctor, for accepting a bribe of Rs 15,000 at the Community Health Center (CHC) in Sahnewal, a town in Ludhiana. A complaint was lodged against these two doctors by Kulwinder Singh, a resident of Guru Arjun Dev Nagar, Sahnewal.
According to the spokesperson of the Bureau, the complainant reached the Vigilance Bureau Range office in Ludhiana to provide a statement, alleging that both doctors demanded a bribe from him as he runs a medical store named Dabb Medical Store in Sahnewal. The complaint further explained that on October 26, Dr. Gaurav Jain, accompanied by two others, visited his medical shop for an inspection. During the visit, the team accused him of selling medicines without a license and running an illegal pathological laboratory.
The Bureau spokesperson elaborated that before leaving his shop, Dr. Gaurav Jain insisted that Kulwinder Singh meet SMO Dr. Poonam Goyal. Following this, Dr. Gaurav Jain conveyed to the complainant that SMO Dr. Poonam Goyal was demanding a bribe of one lakh rupees. However, after negotiations, they settled for a sum of Rs 20,000. The complainant mentioned that Dr. Gaurav Jain collected Rs 5,000 from him on the same day and is now demanding the remaining amount.
During a phone call with Dr. Gaurav Jain, the complainant recorded their conversation, which has been provided as evidence to the Vigilance Bureau. The spokesperson noted that after the preliminary investigation, the Vigilance Bureau’s team set a trap. Dr. Gaurav Jain was caught red-handed accepting a bribe of Rs 15,000 in the presence of two government witnesses. Subsequently, Dr. Poonam Goyal has also been arrested.
Both the accused will be presented in the local court in Ludhiana on Saturday. The spokesperson stated that further investigations into this case are ongoing.