Punjab VB arrests absconder accused of embezzlement in cooperative society

Chandigarh October 28: The Punjab Vigilance Bureau (VB) during its campaign against corruption, has arrested former member Ram Pal of village Paddi Matwali, Banga who was absconding in a multi-crore misappropriation case amounting to Rs. 4,24,02,561 in the Kajla multipurpose cooperative society limited, village Kajla, district SBS Nagar. Disclosing the details, a spokesperson of the VB said there are about 1220 account holders/members besides 2 paid employees in the said cooperative society. It owns 2 tractors besides agricultural machinery for cultivation of land. Apart from this, the said society also sells insecticides and pesticides to its members/farmers. Various members of this society had deposited FDRs worth crores of rupees in the society. Also Read: Kejriwal demands pictures of Lord Ganesh, Goddess Lakshmi on currency notes During the surprise audit by the technical team of the department, it was found that the FDRs deposited and loans taken by the society members from the year 2012-13 to the year 2017-18 were embezzled to the tune of the Rs 4,24,02,561. He informed that in this regard, the VB has registered an embezzlement case against 7 employees of the said society under FIR 16 dated 05.09.2022 under sections 408, 420, 465, 467, 468, 477-A, 120-B of IPC and sections 13(1)A, 13(2) of the Prevention of Corruption Act at VB Police Station, Jalandhar. In this case accused former secretary Prem Singh, secretary (Under suspension) Bhupinder Singh and former member Harjit Singh (all residents of village Kajla) have already been arrested. Among the remaining 4 absconding accused, former member Ram Pal has also been arrested by the Bureau. He said that raids were being conducted to arrest the remaining 3 absconding employees and would be arrested soon. Also Read: ‘26/11 will never ever be forgotten’, says EAM S Jaishankar -PTC News