E-Paper
Officiating BDPO, 3 panchayat secretaries booked for ₹8.85 lakh fraud; two held
The accused have been booked under sections 406 (criminal breach of trust), 409 (breach of trust by public servant), 420 (cheating), 468 and 471 (forgery), and 120-B (criminal conspiracy) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), and Sections 13(1) (A), 13 (2) of Prevention of Corruption Act at VB’s Amritsar police station
An officiating block development and panchayat officer (BDPO) and three panchayat secretaries were booked for allegedly defrauding ₹8.85 lakh funds of gram panchayat Manawa falling under the Bhikhiwind sub-division of Tarn Taran district, vigilance bureau (VB) officials said on Thursday, adding that two of the accused were also arrested.
Those arrested are panchayat secretaries Rajbir Singh and Paramjit Singh while the other accused are Social Education and Panchayat Officer (SEPO) Lal Singh, who has been given the charge of BDPO Valtoha and panchayat secretary Saraj Singh. Our raids were on to nab the absconding accused, the officials said.
The accused have been booked under sections 406 (criminal breach of trust), 409 (breach of trust by public servant), 420 (cheating), 468 and 471 (forgery), and 120-B (criminal conspiracy) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), and Sections 13(1) (A), 13 (2) of Prevention of Corruption Act at VB’s Amritsar police station.
Divulging more information about the case, a spokesperson of the VB said the accused auctioned the village’s land measuring 24 Acres 07 Kanal and 09 Marla on annual contract for farming for ₹7,35,000 in the year 2019-20, but the amount of the said contract was not deposited in the bank account of Gram Panchayat Manawa till date despite paid by the contactor.
Apart from this, Lal Singh, BDPO and Rajbir Singh Panchayat Secretary, had auctioned the village land in question without following the instructions of the High Court and the Rural Development and Panchayats department as compared to the bid of ₹7,35,000 for the said land. They have auctioned the same land to their favourite persons at a lower price of ₹3,35,000 and ₹2,50,000 respectively in the year 2020-21 and 2021-22.
The spokesperson said the accused officials in connivance with each other had committed embezzlement by showing less contract amount to the tune of ₹8,85,000 in the last two years. He added that further investigation of the case is under progress.
