Market committee ex-chief held for Rs 1.11 cr fraud

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Tarn Taran, February 22

The Vigilance Bureau (VB) arrested Amritbir Singh, a resident of Assal Uttar village in Tarn Taran district and former chairman of market committee, Khemkaran, on the charge of committing an embezzlement of Rs 55,54 lakh against acquisition of land in connivance with revenue officers.

Bureau sources informed that the total embezzlement was of Rs 1.11 crore. The Punjab government had acquired land measuring 46 kanal for the BSF to set up a new border outpost at New Mohammadi Wala near village Palla Megha between 2002 and 2012, the VB sources said.

Patwari Balkar Singh who had been dismissed as Kanungo, in connivance with Billu Singh of Palla Megha and Amritbir Singh of Asal Uttar village, misappropriated Rs 1.11 crore in the said land acquisition case by distorting revenue records and entered the names of the above mentioned as owners of the said land. The Patwari managed to release two bank cheques of compensation amounting to Rs 55,54,118 each on the basis of forged revenue records to both on November 7, 2012. In addition to this, the accused Patwari had acquired private land measuring 16 kanal and 16 marla instead of the adjoining government land allegedly to provide financial benefits to the other accused and himself.

On the basis of the VB inquiry, a case under Sections 218, 409, 420, 465, 467, 468, 471 and 120-B of the IPC and Sections 13(1)(a) and 13(2) of the Prevention of Corruption Act has been registered at the VB police station in Ferozepur on Tuesday. The roles of other officials related to land acquisition process is also being examined. The other accused would be arrested soon as teams have already been formed, the VB sources revealed.