Loan scam: Vigilance probing role of Akali leader, bank staff
In a loan scam worth ₹15.80 crore, an Akali leader from Sultanpur Lodhi and senior bank employees of State Bank of Patiala (SBoP) came under vigilance bureau’s scanner for taking loan on government and fake properties in the past three years.
About 95 loan files were cleared on fake land records and ₹15.83 crore is suspected to have been embezzled since May 1, 2013, by the SBoP staff of Sultanpur Lodhi and revenue officials, in connivance with private persons.
The vigilance sleuths expanded the probe over a complaint received on July 25, 2016,
Record from 2013 to 2016 is being examined. Incomplete field reports and guarantee deeds were made and loans were approved on fake land records. Some govt lands were showed as land of pvt persons. KARANVEER SINGH, DSP vigilance
the role of Akali leader Vicky Kumar, a former councillor, and three bank employees (including two suspended revenue officials and a retired nayab tehsildar) — Mohan Lal, Patwari Kuldeep Singh, Patwari Jaswinder Singh (died) came under scanner.
After the inquiry more officials, including chief manager Jasbir Singh, bank manager advance Surinder Singh, assistant systems manager Lakhwinder Singh, a worker Des Raj, all of a Fard Kendra (government land record office) and 20 others have been booked for criminal breach of trust by public servant, cheating and other sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and corruption charges.
Vigilance team has arrested Des Raj, Surinder Singh, field officer Surinder Pal and Lakhwinder Singh.
Inquiry officer and deputy superintendent of police (DSP vigilance) Karanveer Singh said record of three years — May 1, 2013, to April 30, 2016 — has been taken into custody and is being examined.
He said incomplete field reports and guarantee deeds were made and bank loans were approved on fake lands.
He said that fake documents were prepared on sham owners to get the loans approved.
“Even some government land were showed as land of private persons, fake mutations were issued, and the online records of the Fard Kendra were tampered with,” said senior superintendent of police (SSP) (vigilance) Daljinder Singh Dhillon.