Sangrur, Feb. 21 -- Police have booked a licensed stamp vendor in Sangrur district's Dirba town for allegedly taking Rs.8,000 from a disabled man to help him procure his mother's death certificate for transfer of land ownership. The accused, identified as Gulshan Kumar, was booked under Section 7A of the Prevention of Corruption Act following a complaint by Gurjant Singh, a resident of Ward Number 11 in Dirba. According to the complainant, his mother passed away in December last year. In January, when he initiated the process to transfer her land in his name, he was told that a death certificate was required to prepare the file. Singh alleged that stamp vendor Gulshan Kumar offered to arrange the certificate and demanded Rs.8,000 for the work. Singh claimed that he paid the amount under the impression that it was the required fee. But when he mentioned it to the area councillor, he was told that obtaining a death certificate did not cost that much. The matter escalated on Thursday when the complainant's sister approached the stamp vendor seeking the certificate and questioned the payment. But Gulshan allegedly refused, triggering an argument. Dirba deputy superintendent of police (DSP) Rupinder Kaur said an FIR had been registered against Gulshan, adding that further investigation will be carried out by the district vigilance team as per the standard operating procedures. Ward councillor Pargat Singh said, "It is unfortunate that such a large amount was charged for a death certificate. Strict action should be taken." Officials said a death certificate is ordinarily applied via the eServices Punjab portal or offline at Sewa Kendras against a nominal prescribed fee. A stamp vendor has no formal role in issuing such certificates, though some applicants approach intermediaries for assistance in completing documentation....