Close on the heels of the arrest of a Punjab Police constable and seizure of 15 kg heroin, another incident has put the spotlight on the force after a Station House Officer (SHO) was caught red-handed allegedly accepting a bribe to remove a man’s name from a criminal case.The Punjab Vigilance Bureau (VB) on Tuesday arrested Inspector Gulshan Kumar, SHO of Dhar Kalan police station in Pathankot, while accepting Rs 1 lakh as the first instalment of a bribe demand of Rs 2.5 lakh. The arrest comes amid growing concerns over corruption and misconduct within sections of the police force.According to the Vigilance Bureau, the action was taken following a complaint filed by a retired LIC manager from Amritsar. The complainant alleged that a quarrel had occurred at his younger brother’s restaurant in Pathankot district, leading to the registration of an FIR against a restaurant worker and three unidentified people. Though the complainant was not named as an accused, his name reportedly appeared in the investigation as a suspicious person.The complainant alleged that Gulshan Kumar demanded Rs 5 lakh to remove his name from the case. After negotiations, the amount was reportedly settled at Rs 2.5 lakh to be paid in instalments. The complainant also provided recordings of the alleged bribe demand to the Vigilance Bureau.Acting on the complaint, the VB’s Pathankot unit laid a trap and apprehended the SHO while he was accepting Rs 1 lakh from the complainant in the presence of two official witnesses. The tainted currency was recovered on the spot.A case under the Prevention of Corruption Act has been registered against the accused at the Vigilance Bureau police station in Amritsar.