A conspiracy to embezzle compensation for the acquisition of lands under the Bharatmala Project in Halwara, Punjab, has come to light. In connection with this case, a First Information Report (FIR) has been registered against seven individuals, including Block Development and Panchayat Officer (BDPO) Rupinderjit Kaur. The accused also include Satvant Kaur, the woman sarpanch of Leel village, and Daljit Singh, the patwari of Dehlon block, along with five other panchayat members.
The investigation was initiated following a complaint by Lakhwant Singh, a farmer from Leel village, in which he alleged fraudulent documentation and deception in claiming compensation worth crores of rupees for approximately 170 acres of land designated for the panchayat. Acting on the orders of Navneet Singh Bains, Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Ludhiana (Rural), the FIR has been filed under sections 120-B, 420, 465, 467, 468, and 471 of the Indian Penal Code, related to conspiracy and fraud.
The complaint revealed that more than six farmers from Pakhowal block were shown to possess 170 acres of land with fabricated documents and fraudulent activities. Following the preliminary investigation conducted by Inspector Amritpal Singh, it was found that BDPO Rupinderjit Kaur, who already faced additional charges related to her tenure as District Development and Panchayat Officer in Pakhowal block last December, was involved in the illegal designation of additional charges for the lands.
Rupinderjit Kaur misused her position and authority to declare the panchayat’s ownership of 170 acres of privately owned land two days before the passage of the resolution, claiming compensation. The alleged conspiracy unfolded when, on December 30 last year, Rupinderjit Kaur wrote a letter to the District Revenue Officer, Kotak Mahindra Bank, Kotak branch, registering the land in question in the name of the panchayat.
According to the report by Thana Sudhar in-charge Amritpal Singh, Sarpanch Satvant Kaur, along with Panchayat members Premjeet Kaur, Inderjeet Kaur, Jagdev Singh, Harvinder Singh, and Patwari Daljit Singh, were all found complicit in the conspiracy but did not cooperate during the investigation despite multiple summons.
