Ludhiana bizman accuses AIG of Rs 72-lakh fraud

Nikhil Bhardwaj

Tribune News Service

Ludhiana, November 22

A city-based industrialist, Jagjit Singh, today accused Kanwaljit Singh Dhillon, AIG, Counter Intelligence, of duping him of Rs72 lakh on the pretext of striking a property deal.

The police official is posted in Ludhiana. The property deal was struck in 2006 when Dhillon was the Ludhiana DSP.

Jagjit has approached Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal, who asked Ludhiana Police Commissioner Jatinder Singh Aulakh to inquire into the matter.

The AIG has denied the allegation. He said the industrialist had intentionally dragged him in the property deal to defame him.

Jagjit told the media Dhillon had struck a deal to sell 1,686 square yard (consisting of a bunglow and a plot) in Barewal Awana village in 2006. “He took Rs5 lakh as token money and gave it in writing that he took the money. The entire deal was for Rs3.5 crore,” the industrialist said.

“Subsequently, on Dhillon’s directions, I transferred Rs67 lakh in the account of one Ram Pal Singh and Ravinder Singh over a period of time. Dhillon told me the property belonged to him, but it was registered in the name of Ram and Ravinder,” Jagjit alleged.

Several times, he said, he requested the police officer either to execute sale deed or return the money, but Dhillon did not budge. He was shocked to learn that the property was sold to a SAD leader of Ludhiana in 2008.

“I asked the AIG to return the money. He, however, kept on making hollow promises. I did not file the complaint because Dhillon urged me not to do so and assured to return the money with interest,” the industrialist said.

The AIG said, “I took Rs5 lakh token money on behalf of my cousin Rachpal, an NRI, who owns the property. It was decided that the sale deed would be executed on November 30, 2006. Jagjit did not turn up that day. As a result, his token money stood forfeited,” he said.

The police officer questioned the industrialist’s motive of filing the complaint after 10 years of the deal. “The industrialist has a criminal past,” he claimed.