VB arrests absconding PUNSUP District Manager

The Vigilance Bureau (VB), Punjab, has arrested Jagandeep Singh Dhillon, the former District Manager (DM) of PUNSUP, Ludhiana, who had been absconding in connection to a multi-crore paddy scam involving the grain markets of Ludhiana district.

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Dhillon surrendered before the Ludhiana court today and was subsequently arrested by the VB.

A spokesperson for the state Vigilance Bureau said Dhillon was wanted in connection to a scam related to paddy transportation tenders within the Food and Civil Supplies Department, Punjab.

In this regard, an FIR was registered under sections 409, 467, 420, and other relevant sections of the IPC along with sections 7 and 8 of the Prevention of Corruption Act at the VB police station, Ludhiana range, against former Minister Bharat Bhushan Ashu and other accused.

The spokesperson added that Dhillon had previously obtained anticipatory bail from the High Court on September 18, 2023. However, the Supreme Court set aside the bail order on July 16, 2024.

Since then, Dhillon had been absent from duty and was placed under suspension by his department. The VB had been making continuous efforts to apprehend him.

Dhillon, as a member of the District Tender Committee, during the 2020-21 period, failed to verify the tenders of certain contractors involved in the scam, the spokesperson said. He allegedly colluded with these contractors, facilitating the allotment of tenders in exchange for bribes. Additionally, Dhillon violated clause 12(j) of the State Custom Milling Policy by transferring food grains from the shops of commission agents Krishan Lal and Anil Jain to rice shellers of their relatives, in contravention of established procedures.

It was further revealed that Krishan Lal, one of the suspects, had obtained over 2,000 jute bags from other states, which were used to transport the paddy. Dhillon, in criminal conspiracy with co-accused Surinder Berry, the then District Manager of PUNGRAIN, allegedly used the influence of former minister Bharat Bhushan Ashu, to divert paddy from the Anaj Mandis of Lalton and Dhandran villages in Ludhiana district to the Ludhiana Central markets instead of the Killa Raipur centre.

This was reportedly done to extract large bribes from rice millers. As part of the investigation, it was found that Dhillon collected bribes ranging from Rs 3 to Rs 10 per paddy bag from rice millers in exchange of favourable allotments. Furthermore, he overlooked discrepancies in gate pass registrations, which listed scooter and motorcycle numbers instead of truck numbers, allowing for the misappropriation of paddy stored in the godowns in collusion with contractors.

Following continuous raids and mounting pressure from the VB, Dhillon, seeing no other alternative, surrendered to the Ludhiana court today and was sent to judicial custody, the spokesperson added, stating that further investigation into this case was underway.