Vigilance Bureau registers case against SE Surinderpal Singh

Vigilance Bureau registers case against SE Surinderpal Singh

Nabaz-e-Punjab Bureau, Chandigarh June 9:
The Punjab Vigilance Bureau has registered a case against Surinderpal Singh Chief Engineer GMADA for amassing huge wealth with ill-gotten money by illegally favouring some construction companies during his tenure besides transacting in the accounts of his family and their bogus firms to adjust this black money. The Vigilance teams have also conducted simultaneous raids at 9 places related with the investigations in Chandigarh, Ludhiana and SAS Nagar on Friday after obtaining proper orders from the competent court.
Disclosing this Chief Director Vigilance Bureau Punjab Mr BK Uppal informed that in addition to this the Bureau have also booked Gurmej Singh and Mohit Kumar of M/s Ek Onkar Builders and Contractors Pvt. Ltd, Gurinderpal Singh Tinku of M/s Rajinder and Company Pvt Ltd, Amit Garg of Oasis Technologies Pvt Ltd. and promoters-directors of other firms/companies associated with this Superintendent Engineer.
He revealed that it was a multi-crore scandal in development projects as the accused Engineer was indirectly running four firms in the name of his wife and mother to adjust the ill-gotten money and have indirect stakes in a construction firm Ek Onkar Builders. He had unduly favoured contractors after alteration in terms of tenders and collected commission from them through his conduit.
Giving details Mr Uppal Said that a thorough probe was done on the basis of vigilance enquiry against Er. Surinderpal Singh and others and a case under FIR no. 6 dated 8-6-2017 u/s 420, 506, 120-B IPC and 13 (1) (d) read with 13 (2) PCA at Police Station VB Flying Squad-1, SAS Nagar has been registered against the accused.
He informed that Surinderpal Singh joined as Junior Engineer in Punjab Mandi Board in 1993 and presently working as Superintendent Engineer in the Board. He was officiating as Chief Engineer in GMADA SAS Nagar since 2016 and recently repatriated to Mandi Board. Earlier to this he remained posted as Executive Engineer Punjab Mandi Board, Mandi Board Ludhiana, Executive Engineer Mandi Board Mohali-2 and Executive Engineer Mandi Board Jalandhar. Besides this, he was holding eight charges simultaneously at Mandi Board Jalandhar, Ludhiana, Mohali, GMADA, Exen C-1, GMADA, Exen C-2 and GMADA.
He informed that in connivances with higher authorities and officers he was having an influence over other junior officers and contractors and have committed multi crore scandal in development projects
During investigations it has come to light that he gave extra leverage to a favorite construction firm and had allotted contracts to M/s Ek Onkar Builders and Contractors Pvt. Ltd despite its annual tender limit of Rs. 5 crore only. He even flouted Standard Bid Document (SBD) without any approval from higher authorities which was implemented by the state government to keep transparency in bidding process and enhanced capacity of Ek Onkar Builders to allot big tenders to this firm. “Even he also issued instructions to his subordinate divisional engineers to implement his tailor-made conditions in the SBD. Besides, enlistment as Class-1 was also provided to this construction firm which was earlier a small entity”, he added.
Vigilance Chief further informed that the accused Surinderpal Singh had also sub-letted the construction work of 200 feet road joining junction 73/74 to NH 21 at Chandigarh-Kharar road amounting to Rs. 645 crore by flouting all rules. He adopted arm-twisting methods and threatened the allottee contractor – SECL Industries Pvt Ltd, to sub-let part of this work to the tune of Rs. 535 crore to Ek Onkar Builders.
It was found during investigations that as per the contract, the GMADA has to pay money to the genuine allottee contractor SECL Industries but the later has paid only Rs 11 crore to Ek Onkar Builders despite sub-letting of work was to the tune of Rs. 37 crore. It shows that the accused Chief engineer has favoured the Ek Onkar firm to get only work experience certificate and the sub-letting was only an eye-wash.
He informed that during his tenure more than 200 development works amounting to Rs. 1030 crore were allotted to various contractors out of which works having costs of Rs. 230 crore were allotted to Ek Onkar firm. Giving details he told that this firm has promoter-director Gurmej Singh Gill S/o Vidwan Singh of Vikas Nagar, Pakhowal Road, Ludhiana who owns 50 percent shares and 50 percent to partner-director Mohit Kumar S/o Hari Krishan of Sarup Nagar, Salem Tabri, Ludhiana.
It was interesting to note that Surinderpal Singh had old intimacy with Gurmej Singh Gill as later had worked under him as JE when he was holding charge of Mandi Board Ludhiana. Also father of Mohit Kumer was earlier employed as supervisor in Mandi Board Ludhiana office. Mohit was earlier only employee in the Ek Onkar firm but later elevated as shareholder director. It was astonishing that he is drawing monthly salary from the firm as an employee and has simple living.
Vigilance Chief Mr Uppal informed that the Ek Onkar Builders had purchased land in village Chatoli, SAS Nagar in 2015-16 on the name of his employee Mohit Kumar. He received Rs. 19.75 lakh for the registry of this land from a firm named Award Agro Traders Pvt Ltd whose joint owners are mother and wife of Surinderpal Singh.
He further revealed that earlier Gurmej Singh was running a firm named as M/s Rupinder Singh Contractors but after his retirement it was merged with Ek Onkar Builders which got contacts of development works wherever Surinderpal Singh was posted. It was also interesting that Ek Onkar firm has setup its office in House No. 36/563, Gobind Nagar, Pakhowal Road, Ludhiana in 2015 in the house of Surinderpal Singh and the later has executed a lease deed with the construction firm as an owner on 16-02-2015.
He informed that the accused Surinderpal Singh has allotted works to the tune of Rs. 14 crore to Ek Onkar firm from the year 2011 to 2013 and the same had got another work of Rs. 37 crore to get work experience when Surinderpal Singh joined in GMADA.
Surinderpal Singh had allotted more works amounting to Rs. 16 crore during his tenure in Punjab Mandi Board from 2013 to 2016. In addition to this, the accused officer had also allotted works in 2013 to the tune of Rs. 76,62,1700 to M/s Satrodorstroy India Pvt ltd, Okhla Industrial Area, New Delhi to construct high level bride at village Chhatt near Papri village in SAS Nagar and forced this genuine allottee to sublet part of work to M/s Rajinder and Company to the tune of Rs. 36.83 crore.
Besides this, accused Chief Engineer has also allotted works amounting to Rs. 210 crore to M/s Rajinder and Company and M/s Rajindera Infrastructure Pvt Ltd. He also favoured and facilitated M/s Oasis Technologies Pvt Ltd to get Public Health, Civil and Horticulture contracts in SAS Nagar of Rs. 5 crore in 2015 by altering the tender provisions. In addition to this, he has also provided more works of Rs. 50 crore to Oasis Technologies as director of this firm Amit Garg was working as his conduit to get commission from other contractors.
Mr Uppal told that Surinderpal Singh had incorporated three firms in the name of his mother and wife namely – Award Agro Traders Pvt. Ltd, Asees Agro Seeds Pvt. Ltd and Easter Agro Traders Pvt Ltd. It was found that Easter Agro and Award Agro were incorporated and registered in a single day on 09-02-2009 whereas Asees Agro was incorporated on 04-03-2005. In all three companies his mother Swranjeet Kaur and wife Mandeep Kaur were shown as directors holding equal shares and having office at House no. 39, Defence Colony, Ludhiana to which Swarnjit Kaur is the owner. The business work of all three companies was being carried out in the office of Ek Onkar Builders at Pakhowal Road Ludhiana.
He further said during investigations it has come to light that Rs. 40 crores have been deposited in the accounts of these bogus companies from 2012 to 2016 without having any business transactions. In addition to this, inter-transfer of money was also being carried out by these firms and have purchased land worth crores in the name of these companies and the purchaser was Gurmej Singh Gill.
The investigators have revealed that the accused Surinderpal Singh during his job had illegally favoured the Ek Onkar firm with financial benefits and amassed huge money out of its business. He transferred this ill-gotten money in the accounts of his family members and diverted to their firms which was his own creations to adjust the black money.
He further informed that another company Ackme Crushers and Builders Pvt Ltd was also incorporated on 10-11-2016 in which wife of Surinderpal Singh has 90 percent shares and his mother Swarnjeet Kaur having rest 10 percent holding. Gurmej Singh Gill and Tarndeep Singh Sangha, brother-in-law of Gill, were also shown as directors of this company. It was found during investigations that Ackme Crushers has heavily transacted with Ek Onkar Builders in the past which clearly shows that all the accused have directly or indirectly transacted business terms with above mentioned firms and amassed wealth disproportionate to his known sources of income.
He said facts and investigations have revealed that Surinderpal Singh has unduly favoured Ek Onkar Builders, M/s Rajinder and Company, M/s Oasis Technologies, and other firms/companies through illegal activities by exploiting his designation as a government servant. In this regard VB has registered a case and further investigations were under progress.