Civic body XEN nabbed for misappropriating Rs 3 crore

The Vigilance Bureau (VB), Ludhiana, registered a corruption case against Rajinder Singh, retired Superintending Engineer, Ranbir Singh, Executive Engineer (XEN), and Pankaj Garg, Deputy Controller Finance and Accounts (DCFA), posted in the Municipal Corporation (MC), Ludhiana, for misappropriation of funds amounting to Rs 3,16,58,421. In the case, the XEN was arrested and he would be produced in the court tomorrow.

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Stating this here today, an official spokesperson for the state VB said a case was registered against the suspects after a probe was started on a complaint lodged by Jaspinder Singh, electric pump driver, posted at the Zone C, MC, Ludhiana, in 2023.

The complainant had alleged that Ranbir Singh, XEN, posted at the operation and maintenance branch, had received Rs 3,16,58,421 as advance payments from May 2021 to September 2022 from MC accounts for making payments to Punjab State Power Corporation Limited (PSPCL) for various tube well works but it was misappropriated by officers in connivance with each other.

He said during the inquiry, the VB did not found any document related to any proposal or demand by the PSPCL to pay advances for tube well works in the city as the funds obtained by the XEN.

He said as per the official procedure, a requisite proposal had to be made by the junior engineer (JE) or sub-divisional officer (SDO) concerned and through a proper channel, it was to be put up before the XEN concerned but no such process was adopted by the suspects to usurp government funds for their personal gains.

The probe had revealed that Ranbir Singh, XEN, had himself shown a fake demand by the PSPCL in a file and forwarded the same to Rajinder, Superintending Engineer (SE), for approval of senior MC officials. The SE did not verify the documents put up before him on file with regard to withdrawal of advance payments but forwarded the same for approval of the Joint Commissioner, Additional Commissioner and Commissioner of the MC. The XEN and SE, despite having knowledge of rules of their department, had misused their official positions and forwarded the case to higher officials for approval. Moreover, the Joint Commissioner, Additional Commissioner and Commissioner of the MC, posted at that time, had approved these cases without checking/verifying the documents or facts on file.

The spokesperson revealed that after the approval of the MC Commissioner, the file for temporary advance amount was sent to the then DCFA, Pankaj Garg, in-charge of accounts branch in 2021-2022, for release through the case-based system as the amount of advance payment was relating to 42 tube well works. It was the duty of the DCFA to verify all documents on file before making final disbursement of advance payments but he did not raise any objections and misused his authority. It was also found that the DCFA in connivance with the XEN and SE had passed bills related to temporary advances and the amount was transferred in two bank accounts of the civic body.

He said it was astonishing to find that XEN Ranbir Singh had got released the amount of Rs 3,16,58,421 in cash on different dates through self cheques from the MC accounts and misappropriated the funds in connivance with each another. Notably, when the complaint was made after three years in this regard to the Vigilance, then the XEN started depositing the said amounts in the account of the MC and he got deposited an amount of Rs 3,12,23,729 during the period of January 30, 2024 to March 21,2024 in cash. He said according to the MC records, even then Rs 4,34,692 was still due.

Meanwhile, the SSP, VB, Ludhiana, Ravinderpal Singh Sandhu, told The Tribune that in this regard a FIR was yesterday registered under the Prevention of Corruption Act and on the charges of criminal breach of trust, forgery, criminal conspiracy, against all aforementioned accused at the VB police station, Ludhiana Range. Efforts for the arrest of other suspects are being made and the role of other suspected officials posted at that time in the MC would also be examined during the investigation.