2 Junior Engineers held for embezzling Zila Parishad funds
A team of the Ambala Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) arrested two Junior Engineers (JEs) of Kaithal district, who had reportedly been absconding for months, in an alleged case of embezzlement of the Zila Parishad sanitation funds.
So far, the bureau has arrested 11 persons in the case. The accused were produced in the court and sent to judicial custody on Tuesday, said the police.
Earlier, on January 31, the ACB arrested contractor Kamaljeet, a resident of Kithana village, along with accused Shekhar Kala, a resident of Kurad village. Both were apprehended from Badanpur village in Jind district.
The ACB recovered Rs 1 lakh from Kamaljeet and Rs 4 lakh from Shekhar Kala. The accused were currently lodged at the Kaithal District Jail, the police said.
The investigation was initiated on a complaint filed by former Kaithal MLA Leela Ram in July 2021, alleging financial irregularities in the parishad during financial year 2020-21. The Panchayat Department had allocated Rs 31.64 crore under the ‘grant for creation of capital assets scheme’, of which 50 per cent was meant for sanitation work. However, instead of utilising Rs 15.82 crore for sanitation projects in rural areas, parishad officials and contractors allegedly misappropriated funds by taking commissions of 35-40 per cent and making fraudulent payments without executing work.
After the investigation, a case was registered on May 27, 2024, in Ambala. On May 28, the ACB arrested Naveen Kumar, the then SDO, Jasbir Singh, the then Junior Engineer, Kulwant Singh, the then accountant clerk, and four contractors – Anil Garg, Rajesh Garg, Dilbagh Singh, and Abhay Sandhu.
Subsequently, on August 1, another accused, contractor Rohtash, was also arrested. The team members recovered a total of Rs 14.65 lakh from these accused, who were later granted regular bail.