3 revenue officials booked in corruption case
About 22 months after receiving an anti-corruption complaint against some revenue officials of the Ahmedgarh subdivision and a private woman, the Vigilance Department, Patiala, has registered an FIR against a naib tehsildar, Ram Lal, Jang Singh, a patwari, and a kanungo, Harvir Singh Dhindsa.
Terming the action as vindictive, outfits working for rights of revenue officials have sought intervention of senior functionaries for preventing Vigilance Bureau sleuths from arresting them till allegations are found true, as according to them the case had been registered on the basis of statements, that too about 22 months ago.
While Ram Lal and Jang Singh have retired from their services, office-bearers and activists of the Revenue Kanungo Association, Punjab, led by its Punjab general secretary Nirmal Singh Bath, have sought intervention of Chief Director, Vigilance Bureau, Mohali, and Additional Chief Secretary-cum-Financial Commissioner, Revenue, Punjab, in the matter.
“As Dhindsa has approved the captioned mutation after being okayed by the patwari concerned on the basis of records, he cannot be implicated in the case merely on the basis of statements by private persons or co-accused,” said Nirmal Singh Bath, claiming that the case did not fall under the ambit of the Vigilance.
Bath said the outfit had requested higher authorities to take action against Vigilance officials after holding a departmental inquiry.
The complainant, Amarjit Singh, a resident of Nathoheri, had alleged that the three government personnel in connivance with the fourth suspect, Birpal Kaur of Jitwal Kalan, had wrongly made a mutation in connection with the inheritance of 19 bighas of land once owned by late Mohinder Singh, a resident of Bhikhampur, whereas his (complainant’s) wife Sarabjit Kaur was the actual legal heir.
Dhindsa was accused of authenticating the entry from someone else’s laptop.
While the case was registered on March 25, no arrest or raid was conducted so far at the local revenue office.
Ludhiana