Arrest me if it helps settle refund issue, says Jalandhar Improvement Trust chief before consumer panel

Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) spokesperson and Jalandhar Improvement Trust (JIT) Chairman Jagtar Singh Sanghera today appeared before the District Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission at Ladowali Road after non-bailable arrest warrants were issued against him.

In an emotional appeal before the commission, Sanghera urged it to arrest him, saying that perhaps his arrest would expedite the release of pending refunds.

The arrest warrants stemmed from the JIT’s failure to comply with commission orders to refund payments in 128 cases, involving three residential schemes - Indra Puram Master Gurbanta Singh Enclave (2006), Bibi Bhani Complex (2010), and Surya Enclave Extension (launched in 2011 and again in 2016). These schemes have been plagued by hundreds of consumer the years.

From the information procured from sources, it was learnt that Sanghera, in his response to the commission, said while JIT operates under the Punjab Town Improvement Act, 1922, it faces excessive government oversight and claimed that he was unaware of the earlier warrants due to a lack of communication from Executive Officer Jatinder Singh, stating that he only learned of the current warrant from his lawyer earlier today.

When the opposition counsel pushed for Sanghera’s arrest due to the prolonged non-compliance, sources said Sanghera immediately replied, “I must be arrested, maybe then the refund is released as early as possible.”

Since 2021, approximately 400 judgments in favour of the allottees have been passed by district, state and national consumer commissions. However, while compliance has been achieved in some cases, the JIT has failed to act in 128 cases, leaving a staggering Rs 45 crore outstanding. Sources indicated that the pending amount has ballooned from Rs 14 crore last year due to the JIT’s ongoing non-compliance, with accrued interest and additional judgments increasing the total.

Over the past few years, more than 150 arrest warrants have been issued against JIT officials for non-compliance issues, but many warrants were never executed, with the authorities citing the unavailability of officials.

Speaking to the media outside the commission, Sanghera acknowledged the non-compliance issues but assured that efforts are underway to arrange funds. He stated that his office had sent 19 letters to the state government, requesting grants to resolve the pending cases, but these requests were initially approved and later put on hold for unknown reasons.

He expressed optimism that the process would soon be in motion, with funds expecting to be released in the near future. He said he had requested a 10-day time from the commission to outline the pending payments and provide a timeline when the refunds could be initiated.