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Paddy scam: Punjab Vigilance Bureau has arrested fugitive former District Manager (DM) of PUNSUP (Ludhiana) Jagandeep Singh Dhillon in the multi-crore paddy scam case in the grain markets of Ludhiana district. Let us tell you that today the Vigilance Bureau arrested Jagandeep Singh Dhillon after he surrendered in Ludhiana court.
A spokesperson of the State Vigilance Bureau said that Jagandeep Singh Dhillon was wanted by the police in the scam related to paddy transportation tenders in the Food and Civil Supplies Department. In this regard, an IPC has been registered against the above accused including former minister Bharat Bhushan Ashu and other accused in the Ludhiana Range Police Station of the Vigilance Bureau. FIR under Section 409, 467, 420 and other related sections under Section 7 and 8 of the Prevention of Corruption Act. The case has been registered under number 11 dated 16.08.2022.
He further said that Dhillon had earlier obtained anticipatory bail from the High Court on 18.09.2023 but the Supreme Court cancelled his bail order on 16.07.2024. Since then, Dhillon was absent from duty, due to which the department suspended him from the job. After this, continuous efforts were being made by the Vigilance Bureau to catch him.
The spokesperson further revealed that during the year 2020-21, as a member of the District Tender Committee, Jagandeep Singh Dhillon failed to reject tenders of some of the contractors involved in the scam. He allegedly colluded with these contractors and allotted tenders to them in exchange for bribes. In addition, Dhillon violated Section 12 (j) of the State Customs Milling Policy by transferring grain from the shops of commission agents (aadhti) Krishan Lal and Anil Jain to the shellers of his relatives in violation of relevant procedures.
He said that it was also revealed that one of the accused Krishan Lal obtained more than 2000 jute sacks from other states which were used to transport paddy. He further said that to execute his conspiracy, Dhillon along with co-accused Surinder Beri, the then district manager of Pangrain, carried out the theft from the grain markets of village Laltan and Dhandra with the help of the influence of former minister Bharat Bhushan Ashu. The concerned paddy in Ludhiana district was sent to the mandis of Ludhiana center instead of Fort Raipur center. It is worth noting that this manipulation was done with the intention of taking a hefty bribe from the rice millers.
During the investigation, it was found that Dhillon had taken bribes of Rs 3 to Rs 10 per bag from rice mill owners in exchange for arbitrary allocation. He also overlooked irregularities in gate pass registration, which included scooter and motorcycle numbers instead of truck numbers. Thus, he carried out this crime of tampering with the stock of paddy kept in the warehouses in connivance with the contractors.
He further said that after continuous raids and increasing pressure from the Vigilance Bureau, Dhillon seeing no other option surrendered in Ludhiana court today and further investigation in the case is going on.