E-Paper
Ludhiana: Sarpanch suspended over forged signature
Punjab's rural development department has suspended Dugri sarpanch Gurpreet Singh for forgery in official records after a forensic investigation confirmed misconduct.
The rural development and panchayat department, Punjab, has suspended the sarpanch of gram panchayat Dugri in Doraha block after a forensic investigation confirmed forgery in official records.
The action follows a complaint filed by Tapinder Singh, a resident of Dugri, who alleged that the signature of then panchayat member Baljinder Kaur had been forged in a resolution on June 7, 2022.
The resolution pertained to the laying of a pipeline through government land.
The complaint, received in July 2024, triggered an inquiry by the district development and panchayat officer, Ludhiana. During the probe, statements of the panchayat secretary, Jaswinder Singh, and affidavits from Baljinder Kaur were recorded.
The matter was subsequently referred to the forensic science laboratory, Mohali, for examination of the disputed signatures. The forensic report, dated October 8, 2025, confirmed that the signatures on the resolution did not match the verified specimens of Baljinder Kaur, establishing that they were forged.
Based on these findings, the department concluded that Gurpreet Singh, the then and present sarpanch of Dugri, had misused his official position. As custodian of panchayat records, he was held responsible for tampering with official documents.
Acting under Section 20(4) of the Punjab Panchayati Raj Act, 1994, director of rural development and panchayat department Uma Shankar Gupta ordered his immediate suspension. During this period, the sarpanch will not participate in panchayat proceedings. The block development and panchayat officer, Doraha, has been directed to hand over charge of records, funds and property to another panch and to secure the panchayat’s bank accounts.
The accused sarpanch appeared for a personal hearing on March 17, 2026, before the final decision was taken. Further administrative action in the matter is expected.
