Jalandhar Nearly a month after Punjab vigilance bureau arrested tainted Zirakpur naib tehsildar, Varinder Singh Dhoot, and four others in a corruption case on November 2, HT has learnt that Dhoot faces another case of disproportionate assets which is pending with vigilance headquarters, after Jalandhar vigilance ‘watered-down’ the investigation and recommended departmental action.
The corruption case goes back to 2017, when Dhoot was Majri naib tehsildar. He, in connivance with subordinate revenue officials and private individuals, is accused of fraudulently selling 99 acre of shamlat land in Seonk village. The exchequer lost crores of rupees in this, vigilance had claimed.
In 2017 itself, the Jalandhar vigilance had started a probe into Dhoot’s alleged disproportionate assets. The department accused him of buying prime properties, some in the name of his family members, spending crores of rupees on a palatial house and buying 25 acre in Hoshiarpur district.
In December 2017, Jalandhar vigilance inquiry found that Dhoot had immovable and movable property, which was more than his known sources of income, through corrupt or illegal methods. Vigilance claimed Dhoot spent around Rs 50 lakh more than his income between 2009 and 2015, with the total expenditure detected at Rs 2.45 crore. Following this, the Jalandhar vigilance recommended a First Information Report (FIR) against Dhoot to Mohali headquarters, after legal opinion.
In October 2019, nearly two years after this recommendation, Dhoot filed a representation before vigilance headquarters seeking a re-probe into the disproportionate asset case of 2017. This was allowed, and the Jalandhar vigilance again prepared an expenditure report of Dhoot from 2009-2015, and calculated it at Rs 2.25 crore. This was Rs 18.6 lakh more than his income and fell within the government mandated guideline of less than 10%. Now, the Jalandhar vigilance wrote to the state revenue department for departmental action.
{{/usCountry}}In October 2019, nearly two years after this recommendation, Dhoot filed a representation before vigilance headquarters seeking a re-probe into the disproportionate asset case of 2017. This was allowed, and the Jalandhar vigilance again prepared an expenditure report of Dhoot from 2009-2015, and calculated it at Rs 2.25 crore. This was Rs 18.6 lakh more than his income and fell within the government mandated guideline of less than 10%. Now, the Jalandhar vigilance wrote to the state revenue department for departmental action.
{{/usCountry}}“The matter has been pending with the state vigilance for its final decision,” an official said, adding Dhoot also underwent an expensive kidney transplant in Singapore in 2018, was politically well-connected and a close confidante of a prominent politician of Hoshiarpur.
The departmental inquiry report against Dhoot showed that 66 land deeds were registered under his name on November 2, when he was not even present in office.
Jalandhar vigilance SSP Daljinder Singh said, “We have not given any clean chit to Dhoot. There were some technical issues and the matter is still pending.” Vigilance bureau assistant inspector general Ashish Kapoor, who is the investigating officer of the corruption case, refused to comment.
Vigilance bureau director LK Yadav said, “I am not aware of the specifics of the inquiry against Dhoot. We will take our decision as per law and no culprit will be spared.”