Officers with a ‘gift’ for living beyond means

Aman Sood

Tribune News Service

Patiala, December 15

Swanky cars, expensive cellphones,  holiday vouchers — there’s a buzz in Punjab’s civil administration and police circles about some among them accepting the “gifts”.

Sources point to instances of senior officers driving around in high-end cars which are not in their name. These are “gifts” registered in somebody else’s name. 

“An SHO in Mohali, known to be a henchman of realtors, is often seen at nakas with a ‘gifted’ Range Rover parked at the site. In Ludhiana and Patiala, some Inspector and AIG-level officers are seen in Mercedes worth Rs 1 crore,” sources said.

An IAS officer is learnt to have gone on a week-long holiday to a beach destination with the booking and reservations allegedly taken care of by a Patiala property tycoon. 

“An SP-rank officer reportedly close to realtors in Chandigarh, Mohali and Panchkula carries cellphones worth Rs 3 lakh and has top-end vehicles, one for his own use and the other for his family. His expenses far exceed his salary of Rs 78,000 per month. Yet, this has not caught the attention of his department,” points out an insider.

A PPS officer, known for  integrity, said many officers bought expensive cars in the name of financiers and property dealers to dodge attention. “I know of officers close to dealers who ‘gift’ them luxury cars in lieu of some favour,” he says, adding that an SHO-rank officer in Ludhiana wore a Rs 6 lakh watch which he boasted was a “gift”.     

Many police officers in Amritsar, Ludhiana and Jalandhar having membership of elite clubs spend lavishly on weekend parties. “It is time they are held accountable. Why would anyone gift expensive cars, holiday vouchers and phones? This is sheer corruption. The Chief Secretary must look into such corruption,” said a retired IPS officer. 

A letter to department heads, DCs and police chiefs on December 11 reads: “Every employee shall report each transaction of moveable or immovable property made by way of lease, mortgage, purchase, sale, gift or otherwise, either in his own name or of any member of family, if the actual cost of such transaction exceeds a month’s gross salary.”