Embossing scam audit still pending

Deepkamal Kaur

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Tribune News Service

Jalandhar, March 2

More than four years have passed since an embossing scam was unearthed in the office of the commissioner of Jalandhar division here. The office has so far failed to track the amount embezzled and get the recoveries made.

The scam regarding the use of forged stamp papers came to light in February 2012. Ever since, even the auditing team has failed to conclude the exact amount embezzled as complete records have still not been found from the office. The auditing teams had then found that Rs 1.03 crore had been misappropriated by agents in connivance with the dismissed clerk Charanjit Singh for the financial year 2010-11 and Rs 38 lakh in 2009-10. Only Rs 2,000 against Rs 1.03 crore had been deposited in the bank in the financial year 2010-11.

The auditing teams then began tracking previous years too as there were directions to trace records up to 1993. The team members revealed that records up to 2005 were found intact and documents pointing to use of forged challans were found in almost all the years. However, the auditing team has in its report submitted to the head office and with the Divisional Commissioner here found most records between 1993-2004 missing, failing which the inquiry remains incomplete even still. “We could only make out a misappropriation of Rs 20 lakh during this 11-year period since much of the record is missing,” said the team members.

The auditors also shared that it was not just Charanjit but also other members from the staff, who remained on the seat from time to time who could be embroiled, if the incumbent Divisional Commissioner takes a note of the report submitted to him. “Though the report is lying with the office for nearly a year, no action has come till date,” shared an insider adding that it came during the tenure of R Venkat Ratnam, who got transferred with the additional charge of the office remaining with Jalandhar DC KK Yadav for few months.

The new Divisional Commissioner Harbhupinder Nanda today said, “I am still studying the case and need some time to respond.”

How the scam happened...

   A clerk, in alleged connivance with an agent Rajesh Anand and two finance company owners, Yogesh Soni and Ajay Soni, had been using forged receipts and challans for accepting the embossing fee from the NRIs. The amount was collected but in most cases, the amount did not reach the treasury through authorised banks. The amount collected reflected on the office record but did not have an entry with the bank. All four were arrested and are currently facing a trial. The first action came as on Tuesday, the ED had attached properties of Charanjit and Rajesh Anand under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act.

Why the scam happened...

   A single clerk had been handling as many as 25 to 35 cases of embossing fee for getting the power of attorney from the NRIs per day. The fee charged varied from case to case ranging between Rs 250 to Rs 6,000. The NRIs from across the seven districts falling in the division had been approaching the office in Jalandhar, where the staff almost had a free hand. Almost all Divisional Commissioners who have served in Jalandhar have preferred to operate from their camp office, where the approach of the applicants remains very restricted. It has been only during the court hearing period that the officers came over. However, now the DCs of the seven districts have been given the charge to accept the embossing fee in their own districts. Only in cases where the properties are located in one district and the owner belongs to another is that the applicant has to come to the Divisional Commissioner’s office now. 

‘Double recoveries undue’

   Now, that the ED has started attaching properties, the NRIs have been asking as to why the government is making recovery from both sides. “When they have started attaching properties, there was no point in taking the payment from us,” the applicants fumed. The NRIs had been issued notices and they were asked to pay up again for their previous entries did not reflect in the treasury. The recoverable amount from Jalandhar, one of the seven districts under the Division, stood at Rs 37.47 lakh for two years. As many as 4,411 applicants had been asked to pay up their respective dues.