Misappropriation of funds amounting to over Rs 3 crore: Former Ludhiana civic body chief, ex-joint commissioner may face heat

After the Vigilance Bureau (VB), Ludhiana, registered a corruption case against Rajinder Singh, retired superintending engineer, Ranbir Singh, Executive Engineer (XEN), and Pankaj Garg, Deputy Controller Finance and Accounts (DCFA), posted at the Municipal Corporation (MC), Ludhiana, for misappropriation of funds amounting to Rs 3,16,58,42 and arrested the XEN, the then MC commissioner and joint commissioner posted here are likely to face the heat in the case.

The Vigilance Bureau may question the two former officials in the case and the duo may be summoned anytime.

Confirming this development, Senior Superintendent of Police, Vigilance Bureau, Ludhiana, Ravinderpal Singh Sandhu, told The Tribune though a case was registered against three MC officials after their role was confirmed in the scam, siphoning off this much money was not possible without the connivance of senior officials.

“To carry the investigation further and to inquire the role of senior officials of the MC, the Vigilance will question the then Commissioner Municipal Corporation and Joint Commissioner to whom the XEN, DCFA and SE were reported. The VB will verify their role and if their involvement comes to the fore, the Vigilance would proceed as per law,” Sandhu said.

The SSP said besides the two former MC officials, if role of any other former officials was found, the VB would take immediate action.

Sandhu said a probe had revealed that said the XEN had himself shown a fake demand by the PSPCL in a file and forwarded the same to Rajinder Singh, then Superintending Engineer (SE) for approval of senior MC officials. The SE, did not verified the documents put up before him in file with regard to withdrawal of advance payments but forwarded the same for approval of the Joint Commissioner, Additional Commissioner and MC Commissioner. The XEN and SE despite having knowledge of rules of their department, had misused their official positions and forwarded the case to higher officials for approval. Moreover, the Joint Commissioner, Additional Commissioner and Commissioner, posted at that time, had approved these cases without checking/verifying the documents or facts in file. “As many as 42 advance bills for tube well works were approved and money

was withdrawn by the XEN. We have asked for more records from the MC for the investigation,” claimed Sandhu.

Meanwhile, XEN was produced in a court on Tuesday which sent him to two-day police remand. On Thursday, he will again be produced in the court and the Vigilance will seek extension of his police remand for further investigation.