Hoshiarpur scam: 15 months gone, VB yet to file challan

Deepkamal Kaur

Tribune News Service

Jalandhar, October 12

It has been 15 months since the matter pertaining to the alleged involvement of PCS officer Anand Sagar Sharma in the Hoshiarpur land scam came to light, but the Vigilance Bureau is yet to file a challan in the case.

The Special Investigation Team formed to probe the matter had worked on the case only for the preliminary inquiry till the lodging of the FIR against the officer and 12 others in February.

The case is currently being handled just by an Inspector of the Economic Offences Wing of the Vigilance Bureau in Jalandhar in which the posts of DSP and an SP are lying vacant.

The matter pertains to the embezzlement of funds to the tune of Rs 58 crore in the acquisition of 103 acres for the widening of the Hoshiarpur-Chintpurni road.

The delay in investigation and issuing of challan is clearly giving an advantage to the accused who include a tehsildar, patwari, deed writers, Akali leaders and land owners in the area.

However, Vigilance Inspector Niranjan Singh expressed his helplessness. “How can we investigate when the main accused are on the run after the lodging of the FIR? So far, only seven of the 13 booked have joined the investigation. The SDM too has not joined the inquiry.”

During the Enforcement Directorate raid yesterday morning at the SDM’s residence, the officer had reportedly managed to give the team the slip. It was his parents and wife who answered the queries of the team. Sharma has not attended office since yesterday and has reportedly put in leave for five days.

Even after the FIR was registered against him in February, he had gone on leave from Gidderbaha where he had got transferred. He was placed under suspension in March which got revoked last month.

The ED has reportedly started summoning the accused. Akali councillor Harpinder Gill has reportedly already appeared before the investigating team of Deputy Director Rahul Sohu and Assistant Director Ajai Singh.