Two Sangrur-based traders arrested in Jheurheri multi-crore scam

PATIALA: A team of state vigilance bureau on Thursday arrested father-son duo Surinderpal Mittal and Vaneet Mittal, owners of Mittal Traders, in connection with the multi-crore Jheurheri panchayat multi-crore scam.
A team led by the vigilance inspector Satwant Singh Sidhu arrested the two from their office located at Nabha Gate in Sangrur district. The two had been booked by the vigilance bureau after their names cropped up during the investigations into the multi-crore scam in which an ADC, a panchayat secretary, a development and panchayat officer and a block development and panchayat officer are also already in the dock.

Sidhu said during the investigations, it came to light that the accused collaborated with the Mittal traders and placed an order of Rs 82 lakh to install cement benches in the village. He said it emerged that no tenders were floated for the project and the quotations submitted by three firms that were put on record to complete the files, were all owned by the Mittals.

The said money was transferred to the account of Mittal Traders on January 3, 2017, with the collusion of village sarpanch Gurpal Singh, Panchayat Secretary Ravinder Singh and BDPO Jatinder Singh Dhillon. But, no bench was ever installed in the village. The accused withdrew the money from the account of Mittal Traders and distributed amongst themselves.

While, the state vigilance has already arrested Mansa Additional deputy commissioner (ADC) Gurvinder Singh Sarao, Panchayat Secretary Ravinder Singh, BDPO Jatinder Singh Dhillon and development and panchayat officer (DDPO) Malwinder Singh for their alleged involvement in the scam, Sarpanch Gurpal Singh is still absconding.

The multi-crore scam was exposed during the auditing of account books of the village panchayat of Jheurheri. It had come to light that after acquiring 36 acres of command land belonging to Jheurheri village for the airport project, the state government had released a compensation of Rs 54.17 crore to panchayat, which was deposited with the rural development and panchayats director instead of the panchayat.

After receiving the money, Jheurheri sarpanch Gurpal Singh in connivance with the other accused, bought land in the name of the village at inflated rates in other parts of the states, placed fake orders to buy benches for the village and transferred funds to other village panchayats and then to some private firms and contractors to swindle the money. The accused also showed that money spent on development works in the account books, which had already been completed under other government schemes.