Panchkula: Former Sultanpur village sarpanch booked for embezzling ₹27.17 lakh

Police have booked the former sarpanch of Sultanpur village, Barwala, for embezzling government funds worth ₹27.17 lakh meant for developmental works

Police have booked the former sarpanch of Sultanpur village, Barwala, for embezzling government funds worth ₹27.17 lakh meant for developmental works.

The accused has been booked under Sections 409 (criminal breach of trust by public servant, or by banker, merchant or agent) and 420 (cheating) of the Indian Penal Code at the Chandimandir police station. (iStock)

The case against Sanjeev Kumar was registered on the complaint of Barwala BDPO Vishal Prashar.

In his complaint, Vishal alleged that irregularities were found in eight developmental works carried out in the village.

After the embezzlement came to light in 2021-22, the deputy commissioner had marked an inquiry to the then additional deputy commissioner, following which misappropriation of funds worth ₹22.46 lakh had come to fore.

As per the inquiry report, the former sarpanch got soil filled in land meant for community centre at ₹1.58 lakh for which there was no estimate. He bypassed the rules of panchayat department while purchasing CCTV cameras, bought for ₹6,22,932. Rules were also violated while erecting an iron shed on the community hall premises at a cost of ₹11,93,456. Apart from this, RCC benches were purchased for ₹1,29,800, but no rates were fixed for them.

The accused sarpanch was issued two notices to deposit the money with the panchayat, but he failed to comply. Now, the amount misappropriated, along with interest, stands at ₹27.17 lakh.

The DC had even ordered recovery of the amount by attaching his property. But on March 2, 2023, the naib tehsildar submitted that the accused did not have any moveable or immovable property in his name, so recovery was not possible. It was then that the DC ordered registration of an FIR.

The accused has been booked under Sections 409 (criminal breach of trust by public servant, or by banker, merchant or agent) and 420 (cheating) of the Indian Penal Code at the Chandimandir police station.