Cracking the whip on the abuse of official power, Punjab Vigilance Bureau has attached as many as 59 properties of former Chief Engineer of GMADA and Mandi Board Surinder Singh amounting to approximately Rs 26 crore.
The move came as per the orders of Mohali court under the provision of section 3 of the criminal law (Amendment) Ordinance 1944.
“During investigations, it has came to light that Surinder Singh had registered three fake companies — M/s Access Agro seeds Pvt Ltd, M/s Award Agro Seeds Pvt Ltd, and M/s Auster Agro Traders Pvt Ltd — in the names of his wife Mandeep Kaur and mother Swaranjit Kaur and made transactions of Rs 419.44 crore (4,19,44,37,161) through banks,” said the state ADGP-cum-Vigilance Bureau’s Chief Director BK Uppal adding that these companies were created to siphon off the bribe money.
He said that Surinder Singh, during his stint in GMADA, had formed a fake construction company namely ‘Ek Onkar Builders and Construction Pvt Ltd’ in which he had made directors of his own choice and allotted the tenders in illegal manner thereby amassed the ill gotten money to the tune of Rs 419.44 crore
Vigilance chief revealed that Surinder Singh has shown fake business of sale deeds in these companies whereas physically there was no such business.
“During his tenure in GMADA and Punjab Mandi Board, the accused had formed these three fake firms and deposited ill gotten money amounting to Rs 65.89 crore,” Uppal said.
Uppal said that thereafter, he purchased various properties at Ludhiana, Ropar, Mohali and Chandigarh amounting to Rs 26.41 crore with this money acquired by dishonesty.
Notably, Surinder Singh had registered the sale deeds at the collector rates whereas the market value of these properties is much more. Surinder Singh and his accomplice committed a scheduled offence for accumulating the disproportionate assets more than his income of known source.Uppal informed dated November 7, 2017, under section 120-B of IPC and 13(1)(e), 13(2) of the PC act and FIR dated June 8, 2017, had already been registered against accused Surinder Singh and his accomplice at VB police station SAS Nagar and challans have already been presented before the trial court in all these FIRs.
