E-Paper
Ludhiana: Man who duped trader of of ₹42L by posing as LIT official held
A VB spokesperson said the case was registered based on a complaint filed by Rakesh Sachdeva, a resident of Shaheed Bhagat Singh Nagar, Pakhowal Road, through the chief minister’s anti-corruption action line
The Vigilance Bureau (VB) arrested an imposter, Jagat Ram—a resident of Mullapur Dakha—posing as a Ludhiana Improvement Trust (LIT) officer and accepting bribes amounting to ₹42.6 lakh in lieu promising to help a Ludhiana resident in securing no-objection certificates (NOCs) for transferring properties in his name.
A VB spokesperson said the case was registered based on a complaint filed by Rakesh Sachdeva, a resident of Shaheed Bhagat Singh Nagar, Pakhowal Road, through the chief minister’s anti-corruption action line.
According to the complaint, Sachdeva, who runs a garment shop at AC Market, Ludhiana, had purchased three properties under the LDP scheme of LIT in 2017, 2019, and 2022, respectively. He had submitted all relevant documents to LIT to secure NOCs for transferring the properties into his name but failed to obtain them. During this time, he met Jagat Ram, who introduced himself as an LIT official and posed as a private secretary to a senior officer in Chandigarh. The accused assured him that he could arrange the NOCs but demanded a bribe in return, the complaint said.
Sachdeva further stated that Jagat Ram took bribes from him in instalments over two years, totaling ₹42.6 lakh, but failed to deliver the promised NOCs. Eventually, he discovered that Jagat Ram was not an LIT employee but a fraudster. With the help of a friend, the complainant recorded conversations with Jagat Ram, wherein the latter admitted to having taken bribes amounting to ₹37 lakh.
The VB spokesperson added that during the verification of the complaint, the allegations were found to be true, supported by oral, audio, and documentary evidence. Investigations revealed that the accused had taken ₹42.6 lakh, including ₹3.9 lakh through UPI transactions. Based on the findings, a case under the Prevention of Corruption Act has been registered against the accused at the VB Police Station, Ludhiana Range. Jagat Ram will be produced before the competent court on Friday. The role of LIT employees would be examined during the investigation, he added.
