SNE NETWORK.JALANDHAR.
The Punjab Vigilance Bureau has arrested retired Punjab Civil Services (PCS) officer Iqbal Singh Sandhu in connection with the scam that took place during the acquisition of 94.97 acres of land by Improvement Trust Jalandhar for Surya Enclave Extension. The officer Iqbal Singh Sandhu was then posted as SDM-cum-Land Acquisition Collector (LAC), Improvement Trust Jalandhar.
A spokesperson of the Vigilance Bureau said that during investigation, it was found that while paying compensation to the original owners of the said land, fake documents were prepared in place of the original beneficiaries. An FIR under IPC has been lodged at Police Station Navi Barandari, Jalandhar. Case No. 244 dated 29-10-2013 was registered under Sections 409, 419, 420, 465, 467, 468, 201, 120-B and Sections 7, 13 of Prevention of Corruption Act.
The case was transferred to the Vigilance Bureau for investigation and the matter is being investigated by the Vigilance in connection with embezzlement of compensation of Rs 4 crore 32 lakh 15 thousand 438 in connivance with the said officers/employees. He said that during the investigation it was found that Iqbal Singh Sandhu had prepared fake documents regarding compensation distribution to the owners in connivance with the officers/employees of the Trust and his acquaintance Manjit Sharma resident Aman Nagar, Jalandhar.
Thereafter they disposed of these files in 3-4 days and cheques of Rs 5,49,18,523 were issued in the name of fake persons whereas these persons were not actually entitled to the compensation. He further said that it has also come to light that accused Iqbal Singh Sandhu is very close to the said alleged accused Manjit Sharma who had also given a demi-official letter (DE Letter) to Manjit Singh in the year 2012 for getting a new job.
The spokesperson further informed that 14 accused have been arrested in this case so far which include Manjit Sharma employee of Municipal Improvement Trust Jalandhar and resident of village Bilga in Jalandhar district, Sukhdev Singh Patwari, Prem Prakash Namdar, resident Advocate Mohit Bhardwaj resident New Santokhpura District Jalandhar, Advocate Deepak Sadana resident Choti Barandari District Jalandhar, Amandeep Singh Nambardar resident New Sarjganj District Jalandhar, Kulwant Singh resident village Baghana District Kapurthala.
New Laxmipuri, District Kapurthala, Tarlok Singh alias Bittu resident of Hargobind Nagar Jalandhar, Sandeep Sharma resident of Sanjay Gandhi Colony Jalandhar, Surinder Kumar Cashier Improvement Trust Jalandhar, Gurdeep Singh resident of Village Jandu Singhan District Jalandhar, Rajinder Singh resident of Bilga District Jalandhar and Ravi Kumar resident of Bilga District Jalandhar. He further informed that the said accused Iqbal Singh Sandhu (PCS) will be produced before the Hon’ble Court of Jalandhar tomorrow for remand for further interrogation and further investigation of the case is going on.