Land scam: Lawyer ‘connived’ with sarpanch to siphon funds

Sanjeev Singh Bariana

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, May 19

The questioning of recently arrested lawyer, Sohail Khan, by the Vigilance Bureau into a land scam at Jheurheri village in Mohali district has brought to the fore some vital information.

It has been revealed that how crore of rupees were allegedly siphoned off by purchasing land in other villages at less than half the price that it had been acquired for on paper. The land acquisition was being done for the expansion of the Chandigarh airport.

Sohail Khan, allegedly connived with sarpanch Gurpal Singh, in goading farmers into accepting a lesser price than the amount shown on registry papers for their land. Investigations have also revealed that at least 21.50 acres of land was purchased in Kandipur and Karimpur villages of Fatehgarh district in lieu of the money for Jheurheri land. Farmers were actually paid only Rs29.50 lakh per acre, even as the land was shown to be registered at Rs54 lakh per acre.

Initial investigation has revealed that at least Rs5.08 crore was siphoned off in this deal for land in Karimpur and Kandipur. Sohail Khan reportedly got Rs3 crore out of the deal, out of which he allegedly paid to senior officers, tehsildar (Bassi Pathana) and others.

In a separate deal at Karimpur village, 4.5 acres were purchased at Rs23.50 lakh per acre. Payment per acre was shown as Rs 54 lakh in the registry records. Out of the total Rs1.37 crore siphoned off in this deal, Sohail and his uncle Surinder Khan allegedly got a share of Rs50 lakh.

A commercial plot measuring 6,700 square feet was also reportedly purchased in Sanauli village near Zirakpur. In this case, at least Rs4 crore went into the account of the sarpanch’s brother-in-law. Sohail allegedly bagged Rs87 lakh in this deal.

Minister’s role under scanner

During the course of investigation, the name of a former SAD minister also cropped up. Investigations showed that Sangrur-based Mittal Traders arrested in April for a scam of Rs82 lakh in Jheurheri had links with the minister. The traders had taken up controversial projects while he was a minister. Reliable sources said names of Rural Development and Panchayats Department’s former Joint Development Commissioner Sukhjit Singh Bains and director GK Singh, too, came up during the questioning of the accused for clearing controversial files and alleged “bribing of the high and mighty”.

1,000-page chargesheet filed

• The Punjab Vigilance Bureau (VB) on Saturday filed chargesheet against 10 accused in Jheurheri land scam case.
• The 1,000-page chargesheet was filed in the court of Additional Sessions Judge in Mohali against former District Development and Panchayat Officer (DDPO) Gurvinder Singh Sarao, BDPO Malvinder Singh, BDPO Jatinder Singh Dhillon, Panchayat officer Ravinder Singh, Sarpanch Gurpal Singh, Surinderpal Singh, advocate Sohail Khan, Jeetpal Mittal and Vaneet Mittal of M/S Mittal Traders, Sangrur. 
• Over 45 witnesses are listed in the chargesheet.
• The VB had arrested the accused for misappropriating and embezzlement of over Rs 8 crore in the purchase of agricultural and commercial land in the acquisition of Jheurheri gram panchayat land for the international airport.
• The VB had registered a case under Sections 409, 420, 465, 467, 471 and 120-B of the IPC and Sections 13(1)(d) read with 13(2) of the Prevention of Corruption Act against accused.