Punjab Vigilance Bureau today arrested Kuldeep Singh Dhillon, Tehsildar posted at Bassi Pathana after a scam of about Rs 8 crore came to light during purchase of more than 25 acres of land at different places in district Fatehgarh Sahib for village panchayat Jheorheri.Disclosing this here today a spokesperson of the Vigilance Bureau Punjab said Vigilance Bureau has found during the investigation of the scam in the purchase panchayat land in village Jheorheri that collector rates of land at village Kandipur and Karimpur in Fatehgarh Sahib was 9, 77,000 / - per acre. At that time, the market rate of land was around Rs 20 to 25 lakh per acre in the district whereas the land of these two villages were purchased by Sarpanch Gurpal Singh of village Jheorheri and broker Mohammad Sohel Chauhan for Rs 54 lakh per acre.During investigations it was revealed that in April 2016 tehsildar Kuldeep Singh Dhillon had stopped the registry by saying that the land rate in this area is not more than Rs.20 lakhs whereas why are they registering for Rs. 54 lakh per acre. Apart from this, the accused Tehsildar Kuldeep Singh Dhillon asked for a copy of the government order to buy this land and has sought a copy of the resolution which authorizes sarpanch to purchase this land. Sarpanch Gurpal Singh and lawyer Mohammed Suhel Chauhan went to the accused Tehsildar Kuldeep Singh Dhillon with a property dealer Baldev Singh resident of village Wajirpura tehsil, Bassi Pathan to get their work done.
He asked the accused Tehsildar Kuldeep Singh Dhillon to quote his rate and get the registry work done.The accused Tehsildar Kuldeep Singh Dhillon demanded 15 lakh rupees from them for registration of the land and the deal was fixed at Rs. 10 lakhs and after some time sarpanch Gurpal singh and advocate Mohammad Sohail Chauhan went to the accused office with a total of 10 lakh and accused took the same and put that money in his vehicle.It may be mentioned here that total 36 acres Shamlat Deh of gram panchayat Jheurheri in SAS Nagar district was acquired for construction of International Airport, Mohali for which Rs 1.50 crore per acre compensation was awarded and the government had released Rs 54.17 crore to the panchayat which were placed at the disposal of Director, Rural Development and Panchayats instead of Jheurheri Panchayat.He said that the investigation into the land purchase scam in Fatehgarh Sahib and Mohali districts has revealed bungling of crores of rupees by the accused officers and private persons. In this case the Bureau had already registered a case under Sections 409, 420, 465, 467, 471, 120-B IPC and Section 13 (1) (d) read with 13 (2) of Prevention of Corruption Act against the officers posted at that time which includes Gurvinder Singh Sarao DDPO, Malvinder Singh BDPO, Ravinder Singh Panchayat Secretary, Gurpal Singh Sarpanch Jheurheri besides Surinder Singh of Mulepur, Fatehgarh Sahib, Mohamad Sohel of Sector 79, Mohali, Darshan Singh of Hallomajra, Chandigarh UT, Swarn Singh of village Tiwana, Mohali district and Darshan Singh of Kanwarpur (Uksi Jattan), Patiala district.