India News | Guava Orchard Scam: Punjab Vigilance Bureau Arrests Absconding Accused
Get latest articles and stories on India at LatestLY. The Punjab Vigilance Bureau (VB) on Wednesday said they have arrested one of the key co-accused in the 'guava orchard scam' that took place in Bakarpur village in Mohali district in 2016-17.
Chandigarh, Feb 12 (PTI) The Punjab Vigilance Bureau (VB) on Wednesday said they have arrested one of the key co-accused in the 'guava orchard scam' that took place in Bakarpur village in Mohali district in 2016-17.
Sukhdev Singh, a resident of Chandigarh, was apprehended in the case, the VB said.
The accused had fraudulently received approximately Rs 12 crore in compensation in his own and his wife's accounts in collusion with government officials and other individuals, said an official statement quoting a Vigilance Bureau spokesperson.
"Sukhdev Singh played an active role in the criminal conspiracy, indulging in cheating, forgery, and falsification of records, thereby causing wrongful loss to the state exchequer while obtaining illicit financial gains through bribery," the spokesperson said.
The VB investigation revealed that Sukhdev Singh had purchased about half an acre of land in Bakarpur village with the intent to claim illegal compensation for guava orchards during the land acquisition process for the Aerotropolis project in Mohali district.
"Subsequently, he conspired with the prime accused, Bhupinder Singh, a resident of Bakarpur, to falsely establish the presence of fruit bearing guava orchards on the land," the spokesperson said.
"He further ensured the collusion of the concerned Horticulture Development Officer to fraudulently assess and declare the trees as being over three years old, making them eligible for compensation under the fruit-yielding tree category," he added.
The spokesperson said that Sukhdev Singh and Bhupinder Singh entered into an agreement.
"As per their agreement, Sukhdev Singh would bear all expenses including bribing officials while Bhupinder Singh would retain two-thirds of the compensation amount once it was fraudulently secured from the Land Acquisition Collector (LAC), Greater Mohali Area Development Authority (GMADA) using bribes and personal influence," he said.
The spokesperson said that to facilitate the fraud, the original revenue register (2016-2021) of Bakarpur village was destroyed and a forged one was prepared in 2019.
Bhupinder Singh in connivance with revenue official Bachittar Singh managed to manipulate the land records to falsely reflect the existence of mature guava orchards, the spokesperson said.
"Subsequently, Sukhdev Singh and his wife Harbinder Kaur fraudulently received Rs 2,40,96,442 and Rs 9,57,86,642, respectively, as compensation from LAC, GMADA," he said.
The spokesperson further said that to transfer Bhupinder Singh's share out of the illegally obtained compensation, Sukhdev Singh had sold a piece of land in Chappar Chiri village in Mohali district at an undervalued rate to Bhupinder Singh in 2022 after receiving the wrongful compensation.
Similarly, four acres of land in Kailon village, Mohali, owned by his wife Harbinder Kaur was also sold at an undervalued price to Bhupinder Singh, he said.
The spokesperson added that despite repeated summons by the Vigilance Bureau, Sukhdev Singh had been evading legal proceedings and was uncooperative during the investigation.
"Unlike other co-accused beneficiaries, he neither voluntarily surrendered the fraudulently obtained compensation amount nor sought anticipatory bail from the court by depositing the required sum in treasury," he said.
He added that with the latest recovery of Rs 12 crore the total amount of compensation returned now would be Rs 100 crore as Rs 86 crore had already been deposited by other co-accused beneficiaries.
The VB had already arrested seven government officials and 16 private individuals in this scam and further investigation into the case is ongoing.
(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)