Tehsildar refuses lie-detector test

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, May 30

Bassi Pathana Tehsildar Kuldip Singh Dhillon, who was arrested by the Vigilance Bureau on Sunday for embezzlement of funds pertaining to the acquisition of Jheourheri village shamlat land for the international airport, refused lie-detector test in the court on Wednesday.

The prosecution had moved an application for the same in the court. Dhillon allegedly helped two main accused sarpanch Gurpal Singh and Mohammad Suhel Chauhan in the case of getting land registered fraudulently.

The Vigilance claimed that Dhillon received a bribe of Rs 17 lakh from the accused and was instrumental in the execution of Rs 6.35-crore scam. The police told the court that they are to check Dhillon’s involvement in other cases and also check whether more accused were involved with him. The police are also yet to recover the embezzled money.

So far, the police have arrested around 12 persons in the case. The Vigilance have registered a case under relevant sections of the IPC and Sections 13(1)(d) read with 13(2) of the Prevention of Corruption Act against former Mansa ADC Gurvinder Singh Sarao, BDPO Malvinder Singh, Panchayat Officer Ravinder Singh, Gurpal Singh, Surinder Singh, Mohammad Suhel, Darshan Singh, Swarn Singh, Darshan Singh and others on February 20. The Vigilance had also arrested Jeetpal Mittal, an accused in the case.

Significantly, 36 acres of the common land was acquired for the construction of the airport, for which a relief of Rs 1.5 crore per acre was awarded. The government had released Rs 54.17 crore to the panchayat, but the funds were placed at the disposal of the Director, Rural Development and Panchayat.