A 27-year-old son of IAS officer Sanjay Popli, who is currently arrested in a corruption case, died of bullet wounds on Saturday, with police claiming he committed suicide and his family claiming foul play by the authorities. The incident occurred in the presence of a Punjab vigilance bureau team, which brought his father, IAS Sanjay Popli, to his home during a search on Saturday.
IAS Sanjay Popli’s son killed, shot in the head, Mother has accused Punjab vigilance team of firing.
— Manjinder Singh Sirsa (@mssirsa) June 25, 2022
Turbulent times continue in Punjab under reckless @AAPPunjab regime pic.twitter.com/M2Kei5EiEg
The officer’s family has claimed that their son died in the presence of vigilance sleuths who were tormenting the family members during the probe. However, according to the authorities, Kartik Popli, a law graduate, committed suicide on the first floor of the residence. The incident occurred at about 1.30 PM on Saturday.
The family members of the deceased also made remarks stating that corruption has not ended in Punjab and that it has taken extreme heights under the Aam Aadmi Party government led by Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann.
According to Sanjay Popli’s wife, the Vigilance authorities have been harassing them and have even tortured their domestic help in order to get them to make up stories to support the charge they have filed. “My 27-year-old son is gone. He was a brilliant lawyer. They have snatched him,” said the bereaved wife of Sanjay Popli.
Sanjay Popli, an IAS official, was arrested by the Punjab Vigilance Bureau earlier this week in connection with a fraud case after he allegedly asked for money in favour of approving the bidding for the construction of a sewage network in Nawanshahr. Sanjay Popli was arrested in a case pertaining to the allotment of tenders when he was posted as the chief executive officer of the Punjab Water Supply and Sewerage Board.
Recovery of Gold and cash
According to sources, the home of detained IAS official Sanjay Popli was searched and several gold and silver coins, cash, mobile phones, and other electronic gadgets were also found.
Chandigarh | Several gold and silver coins, cash, mobile phones and other electronic devices were recovered from the residence of arrested IAS Sanjay Popli. pic.twitter.com/xl1LeXUT7v
— ANI (@ANI) June 25, 2022
Contractor Sanjay Kumar called the anti-corruption helpline and filed a report, which led to the arrest. As additional evidence that Sanjay Popli was requesting the second instalment for a bribe in the allocation of a tender for sewage work, Kumar also shared a video. Before being appointed as the Director of Pensions in May, Popli served as the CEO of the Punjab Sewerage Board.
