Ex-panchayat pradhan sentenced in housing scam

In a landmark ruling, a Dharamsala court has sentenced former pradhan of Bundla Panchayat, Sudershana Devi, to 45 months of rigorous imprisonment and imposed a fine of Rs 50,000 for irregularities in the allotment of houses under the Indira Awaas Yojna in 2005.

The court found her guilty in seven separate cases of misusing her authority to deprive genuine beneficiaries of their rightful allotments under the government-funded housing scheme. The case was initiated following a complaint lodged by local resident Trilok Chand in 2005. Based on his allegations, the State Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Bureau booked Sudershana Devi for manipulating the scheme for personal and political gain.

Alongside her, another woman from the same panchayat, Ichhya Devi, was also convicted. She received a two-year rigorous imprisonment term and was fined Rs 25,000 for fraudulently availing Rs 27,500 using the IRDP card of another woman. She was held guilty under three sections of the Indian Penal Code.