Punjab govt suspends Vigilance chief SPS Parmar, 2 others amid driving license scam allegations
PTC Web Desk: The Punjab Government on Friday suspended SPS Parmar, Chief Director of the Vigilance Bureau, following accusations of inaction in the ongoing driving license scam investigation. Along with Parmar, SSP Swarandeep Singh and AIG Harpreet Singh—both senior officials in the Vigilance Bureau—have also been suspended.
The government’s unprecedented action marks the first time an officer holding the rank of ADGP and Vigilance Bureau Director has been suspended.
Parmar had only recently assumed charge as the Bureau’s Chief Director on March 26, replacing IPS officer Nageshwara Rao. His brief tenure comes to a controversial halt amidst rising pressure over the alleged mishandling of the high-profile driving license bribery case, which had already led to multiple arrests and FIRs across the state.
Prior to his Vigilance Bureau posting, Parmar served as Additional Director General of Police (Law and Order) and led a Special Investigation Team (SIT) probing the alleged assault on an Indian Army Colonel and his son by Punjab Police personnel in Patiala earlier this month.
An experienced officer, SPS Parmar joined the Punjab state police before being inducted into the IPS in 2012, with his seniority dated back to 1997.
Notably, raids were conducted on April 7 at multiple Regional Transport Authority (RTA) offices and driving test centres across the state, following complaints received through the Chief Minister’s anti-corruption helpline.
According to official sources, the raids uncovered widespread irregularities in licensing procedures, leading to the arrest of 24 persons involved in bribery and malpractice. During the operation, 16 FIRs were registered, and the authorities recovered Rs 40,900 in cash from agents allegedly collected in exchange for expediting services such as driving licenses, tests, and other RTA-related work.
Following the raid, Mohali RTO Pradeep Kumar was also named in the case, but has since gone underground. The Vigilance Bureau has approached the Mohali court, which has now issued arrest warrants against him. Efforts to trace his whereabouts are ongoing.
The action was initiated after multiple complaints were received through the Chief Minister’s anti-corruption helpline. The raids were jointly carried out by flying squads, the Vigilance Bureau, and the Economic Offences Wing (EOW) across several RTA offices.
Officials and agents allegedly demanded bribes to manipulate driving test results and fast-track license issuance. The authorities claim the crackdown is part of a larger effort to clean up the transport department and dismantle entrenched corruption networks.
- PTC NEWS
