Punjab Vigilance Bureau (VB) on Thursday got two days’ police remand of two ex-army personnel, who are accused of allegedly posing as the agency’s officers and taking cheques worth ₹25 lakhs from a resident of Bhaini Salu village.
The VB produced the accused, Manjeet Singh of Bhaini Salu village and Paramjeet Singh of Mehlon village, before the court on Thursday.
Their aide Parminder Singh of Akash Colony of Hoshiarpur is yet to be arrested. He is self-styled in-charge of World Human Rights Corporation of Punjab.
According to the VB officials, Palwinder Singh, a resident of Bhaini Salu village, had lodged a complaint that he had sold 18 acres of his ancestral land a few months ago. He received a government notice regarding selling a panchayat land, following which, three unknown persons came to his house on August 12 and introduced themselves as officers from VB at Sector 17, Chandigarh.
The complainant alleged that they demanded ₹50 lakh from him to sort out the matter of selling panchayat land as they cited that the inquiry is pending at the Chandigarh office and a case will be registered against him in this regard. He agreed to pay ₹25 lakh and the accused convinced him to sign two cheques- ₹15 lakh and ₹10 lakh - forcibly with a guarantee to return them back once receiving the amount of ₹25 lakh in cash. One of the accused persons also took ₹27, 000 from his pocket and left the place after getting his phone number.
Thereafter, the complainant has been receiving threatening calls on WhatsApp for registration of a criminal case against him in case the former fails to give the promised ₹25 lakh cash. The VB had lodged an FIR against the accused and arrested two of them. The VB has also nominated four more persons in the case and a manhunt has been launched to arrest the remaining accused.
{{/usCountry}}Thereafter, the complainant has been receiving threatening calls on WhatsApp for registration of a criminal case against him in case the former fails to give the promised ₹25 lakh cash. The VB had lodged an FIR against the accused and arrested two of them. The VB has also nominated four more persons in the case and a manhunt has been launched to arrest the remaining accused.
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