The Punjab Vigilance Bureau (VB) has arrested Iqbal Singh Sandhu, a retired Punjab Civil Services (PCS) officer, in connection with a scam committed during the acquisition of 94.97 acres of land for Surya Enclave Extension by the Jalandhar Improvement Trust. Sandhu was then posted as SDM-cum-land acquisition collector (LAC), Improvement Trust, Jalandhar.
VB official spokesperson said that during the probe it was found that at the time of payment of compensation of the said land to its actual owners, fake documents were prepared in the place of real beneficiaries.
A case was registered in this regard on October 29, 2013, under Sections 409, 419, 420, 465, 467, 468, 201, 120-B of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and Sections 7, 13 of the Prevention of Corruption Act at New Baradari police station, Jalandhar, regarding embezzlement in distribution of compensation amounting to ₹4,32 crore in connivance of officers/employees of the Trust.
The case was transferred to the VB in 2013 itself.
VB spokesperson said that during the investigation, it was found that Sandhu, as LAC, in connivance with officials/employees of Trust and his acquaintance accused Manjit Sharma, a resident of Aman Nagar, Jalandhar, had created files by attaching fake documents regarding the distribution of compensation to the owners. “Sandhu cleared those files within 3-4 days and bank cheques amounting to ₹5,49,18,523 ( ₹5.49 cr) were issued in the name of fake persons.
The spokesperson added that in this case, 14 accused had already been arrested to date, including Manjit Sharma, Sukhdev Singh Patwari, an employee of improvement trust, a resident of village Bilga, Jalandhar, Prem Prakash, nambardar of village Puranpur, Jalandhar, advocate Mohit Bhardwaj, a resident of New Santokhpura, Jalandhar, advocate Deepak Sadana, a resident of Chhoti Baradari, Jalandhar, Amandeep Singh, nambardar, a resident of New Sarajganj, Jalandhar, Kulwant Singh, village Baghana, district Kapurthala, Jatinder Kumar Sharma, a resident of New Lakshmipura, Jalandhar, Tarlok Singh alias Bittu, a resident of Hargobind Nagar, Jalandhar, Sandeep Sharma, a resident of Sanjay Gandhi Colony, Jalandhar, Surinder Kumar, cashier in Improvement Trust, Gurdeep Singh, a resident of village Jandu Singhan, Jalandhar, Rajinder Singh, a resident of Bilga, district Jalandhar and Ravi Kumar, a resident of Bilga District Jalandhar.
{{/usCountry}}The spokesperson added that in this case, 14 accused had already been arrested to date, including Manjit Sharma, Sukhdev Singh Patwari, an employee of improvement trust, a resident of village Bilga, Jalandhar, Prem Prakash, nambardar of village Puranpur, Jalandhar, advocate Mohit Bhardwaj, a resident of New Santokhpura, Jalandhar, advocate Deepak Sadana, a resident of Chhoti Baradari, Jalandhar, Amandeep Singh, nambardar, a resident of New Sarajganj, Jalandhar, Kulwant Singh, village Baghana, district Kapurthala, Jatinder Kumar Sharma, a resident of New Lakshmipura, Jalandhar, Tarlok Singh alias Bittu, a resident of Hargobind Nagar, Jalandhar, Sandeep Sharma, a resident of Sanjay Gandhi Colony, Jalandhar, Surinder Kumar, cashier in Improvement Trust, Gurdeep Singh, a resident of village Jandu Singhan, Jalandhar, Rajinder Singh, a resident of Bilga, district Jalandhar and Ravi Kumar, a resident of Bilga District Jalandhar.
{{/usCountry}}The spokesperson said that Sandhu will be produced in the court on Thursday. “Further investigation into this case was under progress,” he said.