Another FIR against Latifpura bigwig

Tribune News Service

Jalandhar, January 31

The Jalandhar Police Commissionerate on Tuesday lodged an FIR against a Latifpura resident for illegally obtaining a ration card (blue card) to get free-of-cost food grains by concealing their financial status, which caused a huge loss to the public exchequer.

Commissioner of Police Kuldeep Chahal said the accused had been identified as Manjit Kaur Bajwa, a resident of Latifpura Model Town. He further mentioned that as per the complaint received from Food Supplies Officer Munish Kumar, the accused had got issued a blue card (ration card) in her name in 2021 by giving false information about her financial status.

As many as four members were enrolled for the benefit of subsidised foodgrain, who subsequently received the benefit on several occasions by putting their biometric attendance on the machine, he said.

The Police Commissioner said the subsidised foodgrains were meant for the poor and underprivileged beneficiaries whereas the accused family already owned a Scorpio car bearing number PB-08-EZ-0063, which had been purchased in the name of Parminder Singh, the son of accused Manjit Kaur, in October last for Rs 20 lakh.

Furthermore, her son is an income tax payer while as per norms of this foodgrain scheme, the beneficiary’s family income should be below 60,000 per annum. Therefore, the accused family doesn’t fulfil the requisite norms laid down under the policy, said the Police Commissioner adding that an FIR has been registered against the accused under Sections 420, 177, 181, and 120-B of the Indian Penal Code.

This is the second FIR lodged against a biggie in Latifpura. Earlier, Dinesh Dhir, who owned seven rice mills in Sultanpur Lodhi, and three others had been booked for possessing fake registries without khasra numbers of the land in Latifpura. Both Dhir and Bajwas are on a run to evade arrest.