Ludhiana court declares Rakesh Kumar Singla as proclaimed offender in alleged foodgrain transportation case

LUDHIANA: The court of Chief Judicial Magistrate Sumit Makkar on Monday declared Rakesh Kumar Singla, one of the main accused in the alleged foodgrain transportation tender case as proclaimed offender.
Rakesh Kumar Singla was posted as deputy director in food and civil supplies department of Punjab.
In a statement, a spokesperson of the state vigilance bureau (VB) said that Rakesh Kumar Singla was appointed as chairman, chief vigilance committee of the department and given additional charge of inspection of wooden crates and labour and transportation policy by the former food and civil supplies minister Bharat Bhushan Ashu.
He further added that during the investigations of different accused of this case it has come to "light" that Rakesh Singla had "demanded" Rs 30 lakh a bribe and "obtained" Rs 20 lakh from accused contractor/tenderrer Telu Ram who in turn had got allotment of labour and transportation tenders for different grain markets.
The spokesperson said that after the court orders, the VB would initiate process to issue Red Corner Notice (RCN) against him to effectuate his arrest as he has gone abroad to evade his arrest. "The VB has got valuable information regarding his ill gotten wealth made out of huge bribes as a technical team of the VB had also made assessment of his properties", the Spokesperson said.
He further added that in this regard, a case under FIR Number 11 dated 16 August 2022, under section 420 (Cheating and dishonestly inducing delivery of property), 409 (Criminal breach of trust by public servant, or by banker, merchant or agent), Forgery of valuable security, will, etc),468 (Forgery for purpose of cheating) 471 (Using as genuine a forged [document or electronic record), 120-B (Criminal conspiracy) of IPC and 7, 8, 12, 13(2) of Prevention of Corruption Act has been registered against contractor Telu Ram, Jagroop Singh, Sandeep Bhatia and owner/ partners of Gurdas Ram and company as well as officers/officials of food and civil supplies department besides respective officials/employees of the concerned procurement agencies.