PRTC officials arrested by Vigilance bureau for fraud
Kanwar Inder Singh/ royalpatiala.in/ Chandigarh
Punjab Vigilance Bureau today arrested a steno and two conductors posted at P.R.T.C depot, Bathinda for committing fraud with the corporation and private contractors.
Disclosing this here today, an official spokesperson of the Vigilance Bureau (VB) said that accused steno Yashpal Goyal and conductors Pradeep Kumar and Baljit Singh were arrested after an enquiry conducted on the complaint of Ajmer Singh of Guru Nanak Nagari Mallot, Sri Muktsar Sahib district.
The complainant has approached the VB and alleged that PRTC depot, Bathinda had conducted an auction of 17 shops located at bus stand Bhatinda. As per the prescribed rules of the corporation as well as state government, the interested parties required to deposit refundable security fee to the tune of Rs. 10,000 per shop to the cashier and this amount was to be returned to the unsuccessful bidders after the auction process.
He further stated that Harpal Singh, Mahesh Singh, Jagdish Kumar and Surinder Kumar had deposited Rs 10,000 each to conductor Pradeep Kumar and he issued temporary receipts prepared by him to the bidders. After the completion of the auctioning process, this refundable security amount was not returned to the unsuccessful bidders.
Furthermore, the spokesperson informed that this amount has not shown in the cashier register vis-à-vis not deposited in the government treasury. Apart from this, one shop of P.R.T.C. depot was allotted to Sulab Kathoria who further sub-let the shop to his cousin Abhi Kathori. Henceforth, steno Yashpal Goyal in connivance with conductor Baljit Singh issued fake receipts to the tune of Rs. 1,05,000 as well as demanded Rs. 15,000 as a bribe for the purchase of a Tablet.
During the investigations it was came to light that the accused employees did not deposited the aforesaid amount in treasury and not entered this bid amount in PRTC records.
He revealed that a case has been registered at VB police station, Bathinda u/s 409, 420,465, 467, 468, 471 and 120-B of IPC to probe the allegations of embezzlement and further investigation was under progress.
September,24,2020
