Punjab Labour Departmentt official held for Rs 700 crore loss to govt
Mohali, April 1
The Vigilance Bureau (VB) has arrested Narinder Singh, Joint Director, Factories, Labour Department, on the charge of illegally de-registering Mohali-based Philips factory, as a result of which the state had suffered a loss of Rs 600 crore to Rs 700 crore and faced civil cases.
The Mohali-based unit manufactured CFL bulbs. A sharp decline in demand for CFL bulbs forced the company to shut. The accused was produced in a local court that sent him to five-day police remand.
The VB had registered a case on January 5 under the Prevention of Corruption Act and Sections 409, 420, 465, 467, 468, 471, 201 and 120-B of the IPC. So far, nine officers have been arrested.
Singh’s name was added to the FIR on March 31. On December 28, 2018, he received an application from Sukanto Aich, Director, Phillips India, to de-register the factory that had already been shut by the company.
The application, which was addressed to the Punjab Labour Commissioner, was not forwarded to him. The accused de-registered the Philips factory without approval in 2019.
