DA case: Punjab VB recovers 33 land deals from arrested patwari’s home

The vigilance bureau (VB) said the arrested patwari, Balkar Singh, had acquired nearly 55 acres of land under the names of his family members

Amid ongoing dispute between the government and revenue patwaris and kanungos regarding registration of an FIR against a patwari and a kanungo, which ultimately led to invoking of Essential Services Maintenance Act (ESMA) in the state, the vigilance bureau (VB) said the arrested patwari, Balkar Singh, had acquired nearly 55 acres of land under the names of his family members.

The VB’s investigation has revealed that patwari Balkar Singh was involved in approximately 33 land transactions carried out in the names of his family members.

The VB’s investigation has revealed that patwari Balkar Singh was involved in approximately 33 land transactions carried out in the names of his family members. Following his arrest on August 24, the VB conducted a search at his residence. During this, they discovered a bag containing documents related to 21 land deals. Subsequently, during their ongoing investigation, 10 more such documents were recovered.

An official involved in the investigation stated, “It has become evident during the investigation that patwari Balkar Singh amassed substantial properties. He assumed the position of patwari in 2002 and has since acquired 439 kanals (55 acres) of land in Patiala and Sangrur, registered under the names of his family members. Furthermore, he purchased a 400-square-yard plot in Officer Colony in Patiala and later constructed a house, in addition to two commercial plots in Mohindra Complex. The total value of these property transactions amounts to approximately ₹3.5 crore, with an additional ₹50 lakh spent on constructing the house. The current market value of these properties is estimated to be in several crores.”

Moreover, on August 11 this year, the accused entered into an agreement to purchase 16 kanals of property from Harvider Singh of Dhindsa village for ₹33 lakh, and he acquired 19 bighas of land in Barsat village, Patiala, from Shyam Lal Gupta for ₹90.70 lakh, registering it under his mother’s name.

The investigating officer added that most of the documents were found in the car of the accused, which the VB searched as a part of the investigation. It is evident that the accused, Balkar Singh, possessed assets that were disproportionate to his known sources of income.

“We have obtained documents for 33 land deals. Further investigation is on. An inquiry into his disproportionate assets had already been initiated before his arrest. More details will be shared after a thorough verification of the properties and current valuation,” stated Jagatpreet Singh, Patiala Range VB SSP.

Revenue officials went on a strike following the arrests of a naib tehsildar and patwari. An FIR was registered under Sections 409, 465, 467, 468, 471, and 120 B of the IPC and Sections 13(1)(A) and 13(2) of the Prevention of Corruption Act.