Rs 4-cr scam in Nawanshahr co-op society; 7 booked

Tribune News Service

Nawanshahr, September 5

The Vigilance Bureau, Punjab, has unearthed a multi-crore scam in Kajla Multi-Purpose Cooperative Society Limited at Kajla village, Nawanshahr, and registered a case against seven persons for committing fraud. Three accused have already been arrested by the bureau.

Over 1.2K account holders in society

• A Vigilance Bureau official said there were about 1,220 account holders or members in the cooperative society at Kajala village of Nawanshahr.
• The society sells insecticides and pesticides to members or farmers. Many members have deposited FDRs worth crores of rupees in the society
• “The role of other officials involved in the scam will also be probed and further investigation is underway,” the official said

An official spokesperson of the Vigilance Bureau (VB) said employees and elected representatives of the society had committed embezzlement of Rs 4,24,02,561. He further informed that secretaries Prem Singh and Bhupinder Singh (under suspension), former president Jaswinder Singh, vice-president Harvel Singh and former members Harjit Singh and Balkar Singh, both former members and residents of Kajla, along with former member Ram Pal of Paddi Matwali village, had committed the fraud.

A case under Sections 408, 420, 465, 467, 468, 477-A and 120-B of the Indian Penal Code and 13(1)A and 13(2) of the Prevention of Corruption Act has been registered against the seven accused. Prem Singh, Bhupinder Singh and Harjit Singh have been arrested.

Giving more details, the bureau official said there were about 1,220 account holders or members in Kajala Multi-Purpose Cooperative Society. The society sells insecticides and pesticides to members or farmers. Various members of the society have deposited FDRs worth crores of rupees in the society.

As per the information, the role of other officials or employees involved in this scam would also be probed and further investigation is under progress.

Recently, the Vigilance Bureau had unearthed a Rs 7 crore scam in the Multipurpose Agricultural Service Society Limited at Karnana village of Nawanshahr district. It lodged a case against seven officers or employees and arrested five persons.

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