Chandigarh, September 10: Coming down hard on abuse of official power, Punjab Vigilance Bureau on Tuesday ordered attaching of as many as 59 properties of former Chief Engineer of GMADA and Mandi Board Surinder Singh amounting to Rs 26 crore (approx) as per the orders of Mohali court under the provision of Section 3 of the criminal law (Amendment) Ordinance 1944.
Disclosing this, ADGP cum Chief Director of Vigilance Bureau B.K. Uppal said during investigation, it 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 4,19,44,37,161/- through banks.
He further informed that these fake companies were created to siphon off the bribe money. “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 4,19,44,37,161/-.
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 above mentioned three fake firms and deposited ill gotten money amounting to Rs. 65,89,28,800/-. Thereafter he purchased various properties at Ludhiana, Ropar, Mohali and Chandigarh amounting to Rs 26,41,33,612/- with this money acquired by dishonesty”, he added.
It is pertinent to mention here that 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.
Mr. Uppal informed that FIR No.13 dated 7-11-2017 under section 120-B of IPC and 13(1)(e), 13(2) of the PC act and FIR No. 6 dated 8-6-2017 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.
