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Punjab vigilance nabs retired patwari in guava compensation scam
The accused was nabbed from Muktsar Sahib, marking the 18th arrest in the case. In the scam, compensation worth crores was wrongfully claimed in lieu of land acquired by GMADA in Bakarpur village, SAS Nagar.
Punjab Vigilance Bureau (VB) on Monday arrested retired patwari Surinderpal Singh, who was posted at office of land acquisition collector (LAC), Greater Mohali Area Development Authority (GMADA), in connection with multi-crore guava compensation scam case.
The accused was nabbed from Muktsar Sahib, marking the 18th arrest in the case. In the scam, compensation worth crores was wrongfully claimed in lieu of land acquired by GMADA in Bakarpur village, SAS Nagar.
A VB spokesperson said that the Singh was instrumental in reporting wrong information to pass on benefits of the compensation to the accused beneficiaries. He added that horticulture department had sent an assessment report, declaring market value of the guava plants to LAC, for disbursement of compensations. There were differences in the names and shares of some landowners when compared to revenue records. Instead of taking note of the differences, the accused recommended release of the payments.
