Chandigarh,  The Punjab Vigilance Bureau has arrested former minister Sundar Sham Arora for offering a bribe of Rs 50 lakh to an Assistant Inspector General (AIG) of the bureau, its Chief Director Varinder Kumar said on Sunday.

He said an FIR under section 8 of the Prevention of Corruption Act was registered on Saturday against the former minister on the statement of AIG Manmohan Kumar.

He said the AIG lodged a complaint that Arora met him on October 14 and offered him Rs 1 crore for getting favour in a vigilance enquiry registered against him.

The vigilance chief said the former minister had offered to pay Rs 50 lakh on October 15, while the balance amount was to be paid at a later date. He said the AIG had apprised the chief director, who ordered a bribery case against the accused.

In this case, Arora has been arrested and Rs 50 lakh recovered from him. Further investigation in this case is under progress.