E-Paper
Guava compensation scam: Punjab Vigilance Bureau arrests horticulture development officer
Horticultural development officer Jaspreet Singh Sidhu has been arrested in connection with a multi-crore guava orchards compensation scam in Punjab. The scam involves the embezzlement of around ₹137 crore that was released as compensation for guava orchards on land acquired by the Greater Mohali Area Development Authority. The Punjab Vigilance Bureau has so far arrested 21 people, including beneficiaries and public servants, in relation to the scam.
The Punjab Vigilance Bureau (VB) on Tuesday arrested horticultural development officer (HDO) Jaspreet Singh Sidhu, who remained posted at Kharar and Dera Bassi in Mohali district and is an accused in the multi-crore guava orchards compensation scam.
The scam pertains to the embezzlement of nearly ₹137 crore released under the disguise of compensation for guava orchards situated on the land acquired by the Greater Mohali Area Development Authority (GMADA).
VB official spokesperson said initially Sidhu had availed interim bail from the high court on September 1, 2023, however, the bureau opposed it in court and filed three detailed affidavits and counter affidavits seeking his custodial interrogation.
The spokesperson said that the bureau highlighted the call detail records showing the proximity of Sidhu with other accused beneficiaries, statements of various witnesses, tampered and forged documentary records and differences between the report submitted with GMADA and the office copy of the same report retained in the state horticulture department.
“The high court on January 4, 2024, dismissed Sidhu’s anticipatory bail petition and he has been on the run since then. He was arrested on Tuesday from Mohali,” the spokesperson said.
The spokesperson said Sidhu remained posted as HDO, Kharar, for the past 15 years continuously from 2004 to 2019 and was involved in evaluating the market value of fruit-bearing trees present on lands acquired by GMADA vide various acquisitions like Aerocity, IT City, Sector 88-89 etc.
“During the investigation, it has come to light that certain beneficiaries, landowners, who have claimed compensation for fruit-bearing guava trees had prior information of the land acquisition. They were also aware that the compensation for trees, including fruit-bearing plants, would be assessed separately. Subsequently, these individuals or groups in a pre-planned way started purchasing and accumulating the land which was going to be acquired with the intention to exploit the provisions of the Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement Act, 2013 for their own wrongful gain in connivance with the concerned officials of revenue department, land acquisition collector (LAC), GMADA, horticulture department etc, causing a huge loss to the state exchequer,” the spokesperson said.
The spokesperson said that the VB has to date arrested 21 persons including beneficiaries and public servants.
