he Punjab Vigilance Bureau (VB) has arrested Iqbal Singh Sandhu, a retired Punjab Civil Services (PCS) officer, in connection with a significant land acquisition scam involving 94.97 acres for the Surya Enclave Extension project by the Improvement Trust in Jalandhar.
According to a spokesperson from the VB, the investigation revealed that during the compensation payment for the land, fraudulent documents were created to impersonate the actual landowners. The case, registered as No. 244 on October 29, 2013, includes serious charges under various sections of the Indian Penal Code and the Prevention of Corruption Act.
The probe showed that Sandhu, who served as the Land Acquisition Collector (LAC), colluded with other officials and individuals, including his acquaintance Manjit Sharma, to generate false files for compensation distribution. These actions led to the issuance of bank cheques totaling Rs5,49,18,523 to individuals who were not entitled to receive any compensation.
The investigation uncovered that Sandhu had personal ties with Sharma, even providing him a DO letter in 2012 to assist with obtaining a new passport.
So far, the Bureau has arrested 14 individuals involved in the scam, including Manjit Sharma, various officials from the Improvement Trust, and several others linked to the fraudulent activities.
Iqbal Singh Sandhu is expected to be presented in court in Jalandhar for further questioning, as the investigation continues to unravel the depth of this corruption case.