Sarpanch booked for Rs 28-crore fraud; SIT to investigate case

A village sarpanch here has been booked by the police for allegedly withdrawing over Rs 28 crore from three different bank accounts by forging signatures of the Sirhind Block Development Panchayat Officer (BDPO).

A five-member special investigation team (SIT) has also been formed to investigate the alleged fraud at Wazirabad village here. Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Subham Agarwal has directed the SIT to conduct the inquiry on a daily basis.

Wazirabad village sarpanch Yadwinder Singh and panchayat secretary Rajbir Singh have also been suspended by the state government, with the Rural Development and Panchayats Director issuing an order in this regard.

Look-out notice issued against accused

The police have also issued a look-out notice against the sarpanch.

Meanwhile, the police are in the process of lodging a case against the panchayat secretary, whose name appeared in the fraud after the SIT started investigation. According to the complaint, the accused encashed a fixed deposit and diverted Rs 52 crore to three private bank accounts opened in the name of the village panchayat in connivance with bank officials.

Over a period of time, they withdrew the amount from the accounts by forging signatures of the BPDO, whose approval was mandatory to withdraw the money. The amount was paid by Punjab Small Industries and Export Corporation to the village pnachayat for acquiring 130 acres of shamlat land (village common land) for setting up an industrial park.

The project was mooted during the previous Congress regime. The amount was kept in a fixed deposit in a public bank, from where it was diverted over a period of time to private banks. The Director in his order mentioned that he got a complaint from the Sirhind BDPO that the sarpanch withdrew over Rs 28 crore from the public bank account, leaving only Rs 23.78 crore in it.

He said neither any development work was initiated in the village nor any estimate or bill submitted mentioning such a huge spending.

The BDPO also lodged an FIR against the sarpanch.

Former MLA and Congress leader Kuljit Singh Nagra alleged that the accused had “close links” with the ruling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leaders and urged Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann to order a Vigilance inquiry into the issue.

Meanwhile, local AAP legislator Lakhbir Singh Rai lodged a complaint with the Fatehgarh Sahib Deputy Commissioner, mentioning that it had come to his notice that a huge amount was withdrawn from the panchayat account. He sought investigation into the issue.

Punjab