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Ludhiana civic body records stolen from Lakkar Bridge office
The disappearance came to light during a routine verification exercise when officials were unable to locate a bundle of important files stored in the old record room
Official papers of the Ludhiana Municipal Corporation (MC) have been stolen from an old record room near the closed night shelter at Lakkar Bridge, officials said. The burglars also stole a CCTV camera installed in the building. Interestingly, the burglars put a new lock on the gate while escaping.
The police have registered an FIR against the unidentified accused. Officials, however, said the matter appeared fishy. The missing records reportedly belong to the MC’s accounts branch and include vouchers, bills and other official documents related to various civic works and departments. The disappearance came to light during a routine verification exercise when officials were unable to locate a bundle of important files stored in the old record room.
The case took a more suspicious turn after record keeper Kamaljit informed the police about unusual developments at the facility. According to his statement, he had locked the record room after completing his duties on June 12. However, when he returned to the office on June 15, he allegedly discovered that the lock placed by him had disappeared and a different lock had been installed on the room.
Officials were further alarmed when they found that the CCTV camera installed inside the record room had also been removed. The missing CCTV camera has raised concerns that the burglars may have deliberately attempted to erase evidence before taking away the records.
MC officials believe that unauthorised persons gained access to the record room and selectively removed documents. The exact number of missing files is still being assessed.
Confirming the development, joint commissioner Tapan Bhanot said several files containing vouchers and bills related to different branches and civic works were untraceable and a formal complaint had been submitted to the police.
“We have filed a complaint regarding the missing records. A number of files related to vouchers and bills of different branches and works are not traceable. Police have started investigating the matter,” he said. Head constable Manpreet Singh, who is investigating the case, said preliminary findings point towards theft, though all angles are being examined. They are scrutinising access to the record room, questioning staff members and attempting to determine who may have benefited from the disappearance of the documents.
Meanwhile, the MC has initiated an internal review to identify the exact nature, volume and significance of the missing records, amid concerns that the documents could be linked to financial and administrative matters.
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