ED indicts 9, including 2 DROs, over enhanced land compensation

Bhartesh Singh Thakur

Chandigarh, October 9

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has filed a prosecution complaint against nine persons, including two district revenue officers (DROs) and a naib tehsildar, for fraudulent disbursal of enhanced land compensation worth Rs 9.70 crore. The enhanced compensation was disbursed in 2015, citing decisions in the special leave petitions (SLPs) that were not linked to land acquisition norms in Haryana.

For the development of Sectors 9 and 10, Ambala, Haryana Government acquired land during the 1980s. Accordingly, landowners were awarded compensation, which was further enhanced based on a high court order. They later filed SLPs before the Supreme Court, which were dismissed.

Meanwhile, former DRO MS Sangwan, then Land Acquisition Officer (LAO), Panchkula, forwarded the worksheet for approval of enhanced compensation of Rs 1.39 crore to ‘ineligible’ beneficiaries Baljit Kaur and others. In this case, Dhoop Singh, who was appointed as Naib Tehsildar in the LAO office, continued to occupy his office beyond his tenure and signed the calculation and recommendation sheet without any authority, the ED alleged.

In another case, Rajbir Singh, then Kanungo in the LAO office, processed the worksheets of enhanced compensation amounting to Rs 1.10 crore and Rs 8.60 crore for Baljit Singh and others and forwarded them to Dhoop Singh, who further marked it to Kamal Nayan, then Section Officer, to verify calculations for final approval. Present Ambala DRO, Capt Vinod Sharma, who was then LAO, Panchkula, made the disbursement of enhanced compensation to the respective ‘ineligible’ beneficiaries, the ED said. It attached properties and bank FDs of the accused amounting to Rs 9.45 crore as proceeds of crime in the case.

Sangwan admitted before the ED that he was not aware of the fact that the SLP no. 16862 of 2007 filed by Baljeet Kaur, Tarandeep Singh, Virender Singh, and Gurpreet Kaur had been dismissed and a worksheet of enhanced compensation was prepared on the basis of SLP No. 24704-24712 of 2008. The beneficiaries of fraudulent disbursals were not parties to these SLPs, which belonged to Rabi Narayan Khuntia vs Chief Temple Administrator, not connected with Haryana, the ED added.

It was Sangwan’s duty to check all facts, particularly the SLP, and he let Dhoop Singh occupy office even after the expiry of his tenure, alleged ED. Rajbir told the ED that it was Sangwan who directed him to quote the wrong SLP.

Six beneficiaries of fraudulent disbursal died during the investigations, so they have not been mentioned as accused. Besides, only one beneficiary, Tarandeep Singh, of the 10, has so far returned Rs 42.19 lakh to Tehsildar, Ambala, on receiving the recovery notices.

SLPs of ‘ineligible’ beneficiaries dismissed

For the development of Sectors 9 and 10, Ambala, the Haryana Government acquired land during the 1980s. Accordingly, landowners were awarded compensation, which was further enhanced based on a high court order. They later filed SLPs in the Supreme Court, which were dismissed.