Guava orchard compensation scam: Punjab Vigilance Bureau arrests horticulture development officer
Mohali, January 30
The Punjab Vigilance Bureau (VB) arrested Horticulture Development Officer (HDO) Jaspreet Singh Sidhu, who remained posted at Kharar and Dera Bassi, here today. He was an accused in the alleged multi-crore guava orchards compensation scam.
Rs 137 cr embezzled
The Vigilance Bureau had registered a case last year after allegedly unearthing a huge scam pertaining to embezzlement of about Rs 137 crore released under the disguise of compensation for the said guava orchards situated on the land acquired by GMADA for development of Aerotropolis city.
A spokesperson said initially, Sidhu had availed interim bail from the High Court on September 1 last year. However, the VB opposed his anticipatory bail petition and eventually filed three affidavits/counter affidavits as replies during detailed arguments to seek his custodial interrogation.
The VB highlighted the call detail records showing Sidhu’s proximity to other accused beneficiaries, statements of various witnesses, tampered and forged documentary records and differences between the report submitted with GMADA and the office copy of the same report retained in the state Horticulture Department. Besides, the category of the same plants was shown to be higher in the report submitted with GMADA than that mentioned in the office copy of the same report, he added.
Subsequently, the High Court dismissed his anticipatory bail petition on January 24. Thereafter, the accused HDO was on the run and the VB was trying to trace him.
The accused had remained posted as the HDO, Kharar, from 2004 to 2019 and was involved in evaluating the market value of fruit-bearing trees existing on the land acquired by GMADA vide various acquisitions like Aerocity, IT City, Sector 88-89 etc.
The VB had registered a case last year after allegedly unearthing a huge scam pertaining to embezzlement of about Rs 137 crore released under the disguise of compensation for the said guava orchards situated on the land acquired for development of Aerotropolis city.
The accused, in order to influence value assessment of guava trees, showed the age of plants to be four years or above so that such aged trees are considered as fruit yielding.
The VB has so far arrested a total of 21 persons in the case, including beneficiaries and public servants namely JS Johal, LAC, Vaishali, HDO, and Bachitar Singh, Patwari. Some beneficiaries were granted anticipatory bail in lieu of their offer to deposit 100% of the compensation amount.
The VB has approached Supreme Court of India challenging the bail orders of the High Court and after considering the facts, the apex court issued notices to the accused respondents.
The High Court had ordered various accused beneficiaries to deposit a total amount of Rs 72.36 crore, out of which Rs 43.72 crore had been deposited so far.
