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Ex-DC among Ambala officials booked for graft
The FIRs were lodged on July 20 and July 28 at the bureau’s Ambala Range unit after a preliminary probe was conducted by inspector-level officers, DSP (vigilance) Ajay Kumar Rana, said on Friday. No arrest has been made so far.
The state vigilance bureau has registered three cases against several retired administrative officials, including a former divisional commissioner, who also held the charge of Ambala deputy commissioner, in connection with an alleged fraud of several acres of Shamlat Deh land starting almost two decades ago.
The FIRs were lodged on July 20 and July 28 at the bureau’s Ambala Range unit after a preliminary probe was conducted by inspector-level officers, DSP (vigilance) Ajay Kumar Rana, said on Friday.
As per the first case, it was found in the probe that the gram panchayat of Kardhan village had passed a resolution in 2004 for constructing a new dairy complex on 26-acre and 10 marla Shamlat Deh land at the village, and the land was to be sold at a market price.
“It was found that the collector (deputy commissioner) had to give permission of the sale for the said land only, and the officer had to give approval of the land as per Section 13-A of the Punjab Village Common Land Act and a Punjab and Haryana high court judgment of Jai Singh versus the state of Haryana, but instead, the officials of the revenue department and the collector had done partition of common purpose land too that is meant for various purposes,” the FIR read.
It was registered against then deputy commissioner, sub-divisional magistrate, tehsildar, and naib tehsildar of the area, under charges of irregularities, forgery, misuse of power and other sections of the IPC and Prevention of Corruption Act.
In the second case, the registries of the said land of the village were done in 2010 and as many as 12 registries were done allegedly against the rules.
“The mutation of all the registries was done by the then halka patwari, after an approval by then naib tehsildar. The duo, in collusion with each other, caused a revenue loss of over ₹1.84 crore to the state exchequer,” complainant, inspector Ramphal of the SVB, said.
Similarly, during 2014-15, the same two officials (naib tehsildar and patwari kardhan), made 17 registries and mutations of Shamlat deh land of the village, in violation of the rules. This also led to a reported loss of ₹23.33 crore to the state exchequer.
The above two FIRs were registered under sections of fraud and conspiracy of IPC and other charges of Prevention of Corruption act.
DSP Ajay said, “The records are being collected and further action will be taken accordingly. No arrest has been made so far.”
