Kajla Society Embezzlement case: Another accused held

Nawanshahr, October 28

The Punjab Vigilance Bureau (VB) has arrested one more accused, Ram Pal, in connection with the Kajla Multipurpose Cooperative Society Limited misappropriation case.

Pal, a former member of the society, and some other members and employees had allegedly embezzled Rs 4,24,02,561 from the society. The bureau had already nabbed three others accused in the case- former society secretary Prem Singh, the suspended society secretary- Bhupinder Singh and another former society member- Harjit Singh. Currently, raids are on to nab the three other suspects in the case, who are still at large.

There are about 1,220 account holders or members and two paid employees in the cooperative society. The society owns two tractors and agricultural machinery for the cultivation of land. Besides, the society also sells insecticides and pesticides to farmers. Various members of the society had deposited FDRs to the tune of crores of rupees in the society. The embezzlement was rumbled during a surprise audit by the technical team of the department.

The bureau had registered an embezzlement case against the seven employees of the society under Sections 408, 420, 465, 467, 468, 477-A and 120-B of the IPC and Sections 13(1)A and 13(2) of the Prevention of Corruption Act at the VB Police Station in Jalandhar. Recently, the bureau also unearthed a scam pertaining to the allotment of tenders related to labour, cartage and transportation of foodgrain in Nawanshahr.