IAS Vijay Dahiya, 2001 batch from Haryana cadre has been arrested by Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) in connection with a corruption case. He was posted as the commissioner of the Haryana Skill Development Department in Panchkula. Later Dahiya was put on Awaiting Posting Order (APO) ever since his name had cropped up in the corruption case. The ACB produced him before the CJM court, which has sent him to judicial custody.
The case:
The case is related to payment of a bill of Rs 50 lakh. One Rinku Manchanda had complained to ACB that one Poonam Chopra is asking for bribe of Rs 5 lakh to clear the bill from Vijay Dahiya and and Haryana Skill Development Mission's Chief Skills Officer (CSO) Deepak Sharma.
After the complaint, the ACB had arrested Poonam Chopra, while allegedly taking a bribe of Rs 3 lakh on April 20. Apart from Poonam, the ACB had registered an FIR against Vijay Dahiya.
In his complaint, Manchanda stated: “As a training partner of Haryana Skill Development Mission, I had provided training to poor children for computer, AC technician and beauty parlour. For that I had to take a payment of nearly Rs 50 lakh from the department. For that payment I have been approaching the department for the past three years but nobody was listening to me.”
In the FIR, Manchanda further alleged: “CSO Deepak Sharma demanded Rs 5 lakh bribe to get the payment of my pending bills released. Then Deepak Sharma also told me that ‘if I want to get the payment of bills released early, then I should meet Poonam Chopra who is known to Vijay Dahiya and she will ensure the payment early'. I met Poonam Chopra in Panchkula and talked to her. She said that she would respond after speaking to Dahiya ji. After some time, Poonam Chopra told me that she had spoken to Vijay Dahiya. She said that ‘I have to give Rs 5 lakh as bribe for release of my bill payment and out of it 5 per cent would be her share'. I said yes, and have already given Rs 2 lakh to her. Poonam Chopra also sent the WhatsApp messages of Vijay Dahiya regarding clearance of files for payment. Poonam Chopra told me that ‘if I did not give Rs 3 lakh today (April 20), then she won't let clearance for the bills happen'.”
On April 20, Manchanda approached ACB officials and alleged that Poonam Chopra was pressuring him for the remaining Rs 3 lakh bribe amount.
He also told the cops: “I don't want to give this bribe to Poonam Chopra, but want to get her arrested red-handed.” Manchanda also said that he has recordings in which the bribe was sought. Subsequently, the woman was arrested allegedly taking Rs 3 lakh bribe.
How cops caught Vijay Dahiya
ACB later investigated Vijay Dahiya and let him go. After six months ACB collected incriminating evidences against Dahiya which includes chats and call records of Poonam and Dahiya to set the arrest Dahiya had approached the High Court earlier for anticipatory bail but the Court had turned down his application.
Vivek Shukla is a management graduate who has worked in corporate worked for 20 years and is now pursuing his passion — news.
