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Guava orchard compensation scam: Court rejects bail pleas of Ferozepur DC’s wife, 2 others
The Punjab vigilance bureau (VB) on Tuesday claimed to have unearthed a scam wherein compensation was wrongfully obtained by the accused during land acquisition by the Greater Mohali Area Development Authority (GMADA) in Bakarpur village, Mohali, from 2016 to 2020.
The court of additional district sessions judge Sandeep Kumar Singla rejected the anticipatory bail plea of Jasmin Kaur, the wife of Ferozepur deputy commissioner Rajesh Dhiman, in the multi-crore guava orchard compensation scam case.
The court has also rejected the bail pleas of Kulwinder Kaur and Manpreet Kaur, wife and daughter of key conspirator Bhupinder Singh Bhinda.
The Punjab vigilance bureau (VB) on Tuesday claimed to have unearthed a scam wherein compensation was wrongfully obtained by the accused during land acquisition by the Greater Mohali Area Development Authority (GMADA) in Bakarpur village, Mohali, from 2016 to 2020. Eight persons, including a revenue official, are said to be involved in the scam, that allegedly runs into over ₹100 crores. The entire scam was carried out in connivance with officials of state horticulture and revenue departments, said the vigilance officials.
The accused were booked under Sections 409, 420, 465, 466, 468, 471, 120-B of IPC and Section 13(1) (a), 13 (2) of the Prevention of Corruption Act at VB police station, Flying Squad -1, Punjab, at Mohali.
The accused has offered to return the compensation amount, but the court rejected their plea for bail. The public prosecutor stated before the court that the accused persons received a compensation of ₹5,500 for each guava plant.
ED seeks records
The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has sought records pertaining to the scam from GMADA. In a communique to the chief administrator of GMADA, the ED stated that since the sections invoked under IPC and the prevention of corruption act are scheduled offenses under the prevention of money laundering act, inquiries are being carried out by the directorate in the subject case.
ED further stated that the accused persons, by colluding with officials of horticulture department of Punjab and the land revenue department, wrongfully obtained compensations for the guava orchards from the government for which the accused were not entitled to.
“In this regard, it is requested that the necessary directions may be given to the officer concerned to provide any document submitted by the accused claiming for the said compensation, details of payments made by GMADA or government of Punjab for the guava orchids for acquiring said lands and other details of the bank accounts in which the payments of the wrongfully claimed compensation were transferred, the ED communique mentioned.
