Patiala Deputy commissioner Kumar Amit has written to the state revenue department to take action against tehsildar Jagsir Singh, posted in Ludhiana, and his reader Sandeep Kumar for violation of court orders and shoddy auction of a property at throwaway prices to a person known to them in 2013. The DC’s recommendation comes after additional deputy commissioner (ADC) Preeti Yadav’s inquiry report indicted Jagsir and Sandeep.
The case relates to the auction of a plot on August 19, 2013, on the directions of the Nabha civil court. The court had ordered the tehsildar to auction 175 square yard of a 492 square yard plot of M/s Banarsi Dass Ram Chand. According to the ADC’s inquiry report, the two officials sold the entire plot for a ₹17.2 lakh, whereas the then market rate was over ₹70 lakh. Bidder Harjinder Singh deposited ₹4.3 lakh as 25% of the auction amount with tehsildar Jagsir, who submitted a receipt to this effect. After controversy erupted over the illegality, another court cancelled the auction.
The matter came to light when a computer operator, appointed on contract, Amanjot Singh, turned a whistle blower. Officials, however, in league with the purchaser got a First Information Report (FIR) registered against Amanjot and got him sacked. In another twist, the then Punjab DGP Suresh Arora shifted the probe in the plot auction case to the vigilance bureau.
The vigilance cancelled the FIR against Amanjot and started departmental proceedings against erring police officials for lodging a wrong case against him. The vigilance also asked the revenue department to conduct a departmental probe against the then Nabha tehsildar Jagsir and his clerk Sandeep. This probe was marked to ADC Preeti.
{{/usCountry}}The vigilance cancelled the FIR against Amanjot and started departmental proceedings against erring police officials for lodging a wrong case against him. The vigilance also asked the revenue department to conduct a departmental probe against the then Nabha tehsildar Jagsir and his clerk Sandeep. This probe was marked to ADC Preeti.
{{/usCountry}}Probing the charges against the two revenue officials, the ADC’s inquiry report submitted to the DC states that it had been proven that officials overstepped their power and auctioned the entire plot in violation of court order. Her report also notes that the accused had destroyed the auction record, so that the truth wouldn’t come out.
The whistle blower Amanjot said, “I paid the price of being honest, and faced a false FIR for working as rules. Initially, the accused also tempted me to join them in the misdeed, but I stayed true to my principles. I hope that the department takes strict action against both the officials.”