2 transport officials arrested for ‘bungling’ tax money in Punjab

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh June 8

The Vigilance Bureau has arrested two officials of the Transport Department — Harpal Singh and Salinder Singh — for allegedly usurping the taxes collected from commercial vehicles entering the state at a collection centre in Jharmari, Lalru, with the help of fake computer software and bogus stamps or seals.

A spokesperson for the VB said a case under Sections 420, 465, 467, 471,120 B of the IPC and 7, 7A, 13(1) (A), 13(2) of the Prevention of Corruption Act had been registered against three accused persons, namely Harpal Singh (Fatehabad, Haryana), Salinder (Zirakpur) and Praveen Kumar (Kharar) at the Vigilance Bureau police station in Mohali. The fake software and bogus stamps and seals have also been recovered from them.

The spokesperson said involvement of other officers or employees concerned would be ascertained as the accused had been collecting lakhs of rupees daily, which wasn’t possible without the connivance of others.

Giving details of the scam, he said around 2,000 commercial vehicles enter Punjab daily. These vehicles have to pay tax for entering or passing through the state. The taxes can be paid online or deposited with the staff posted at the check post. These officials with the intent to usurp the money developed a fake software similar to the original one to collect taxes and generate bogus receipts for the owners/drivers of the vehicles.

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