Pathankot SDO, two other officers in vigilance bureau net

PATHANKOT:THE Vigilance Bureau booked two executive officers (EO), a sub-divisional officer (SDO) and two other persons running advertisement agencies in Pathankot for a multi-crore fraud in the Pathankot Improvement Trust office on Monday.

The SDO, Vipan Mahajanm, has been arrested from Pathankot while the VB continued raids at the houses of other accused at the time of filing this report.

The VB was investigating the fraud case since past few months when the embezzlement had come to the notice after somebody complained that private advertisement agencies’ owners, with connivance of Pathankot Improvement Trust officials, had embezzled an amount to the tune of crores.

The VB officials learnt that funds were transferred to these advertisement agencies through the trust office in the name of giving advertisements in print and electronic media, which, in fact, were never printed or aired. The high rates charged in the name of advertisements had also come to the notice of the investigating officers after which, the accused persons were on the VB radar.

The other accused include former EO Jatinder Singh and Arvind Sharma and two owners of advertisement agencies.

Confirming the arrest of one SDO Vipan Kumar, senior superintendent of police (SSP) RK Bakshi (VB) who operates from Amritsar and looks after Gurdaspur and Pathankot, said raids were continuing at the houses and places where the accused could be present.

“We were gathering the evidence and now, we are clear that a multi-crore scam has occurred in the Pathankot Improvement Trust and have booked them and proceeding to arrest the accused,” SSP Bakshi said.

They have been booked under Section 467 (Forgery), 468(forgery for purpose of cheating), 471(Using as genuine a forged a forged document), 120 B (criminal conspiracy) of the IPC and 13(1) D and 13(2) of the Prevention of Corruption Act 1988.