Ex-PCS officer held in Jalandhar land scam
Tribune News Service
Jalandhar, July 31
The Punjab Vigilance Bureau (VB) has apprehended retired PCS officer Iqbal Singh Sandhu in connection with a major land acquisition scam involving the Jalandhar Improvement Trust.
The scam, valued at Rs 5.49 crore, was uncovered during the acquisition of 94.97 acres for the Surya Enclave Extension project. Sandhu, who served as SDM-cum- Land Acquisition Collector (LAC) during the period of the alleged fraud, was arrested in Jalandhar.
According to a VB spokesperson, the investigation revealed that during the payment of compensation to the actual landowners, fraudulent documents were substituted for legitimate ones.
The case, initially registered on October 29, 2013, under Sections 409, 419, 420, 465, 467, 468, 201, 120-B of the IPC, and Sections 7 and 13 of the Prevention of Corruption Act, was later transferred to the Vigilance Bureau for further investigation into the misappropriation of Rs 4.32 crore in compensation funds by Trust officers and employees.
The probe disclosed that Sandhu, in collusion with Trust officials and his associate Manjit Sharma of Aman Nagar, Jalandhar, created fraudulent files and processed them within 3-4 days. Consequently, cheques totaling Rs 5.49 crore were issued to fictitious individuals who were not entitled to receive compensation.
Furthermore, the investigation revealed Sandhu’s close relationship with Sharma, which is evidenced by a recommendation letter he wrote in 2012 to facilitate Sharma’s passport application.
So far, 14 individuals have been arrested in connection with the scam. The spokesperson added that Sandhu would be presented before a competent court in Jalandhar tomorrow to seek his remand for further interrogation.
