WWICS chief held in Saini case

Strap: Bribed PWD official to use agri land for residential colony

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, August 19

The Punjab Vigilance Bureau on Thursday arrested WWICS director Davinder Sandhu, who has been named a co-accused in a corruption case involving ex-DGP Sumedh Singh Saini.

The bureau said Sandhu colluded with Deputy Director Ashok Sika and Senior Town Planner Sagar Bhatia (both now retired) besides some other officials and illegally converted agricultural land into two residential colonies at Kurali by concealing facts and using fake documents.

During the probe it came to light that Sandhu paid Rs 6 crore as bribe to PWD Executive Engineer Nimratdeep Singh to get the colonies certified.

Nimratdeep allegedly purchased a two-kanal house in Sector 20-D, Chandigarh, and reconstructed it in September 2017 using the bribe money.

On being questioned, he revealed that former DGP Sumedh Saini had been residing as a tenant on the first floor of the house since October 15, 2018, and paying a rent of Rs 2.50 lakh per month.

Later it was found that Saini had transferred Rs 6 crore and Rs 40 lakh to Nimratdeep and his father Surinderjit Singh Jaspal, respectively, in their bank accounts between August 2018 and August 2020. The payment was not made in accordance with the rent deed.