Fatehgarh Sahib, April 14: Fatehgarh Sahib police have booked Wazirabad village sarpanch Yadwinder Singh for allegedly siphoning off over ₹28 crore by forging the signatures of the Sirhind Block Development Panchayat Officer (BDPO) and diverting panchayat funds into private accounts.
The alleged fraud, involving a larger amount of ₹52 crore, has prompted the formation of a five-member special investigation team (SIT), which has been directed to conduct a daily probe, according to Senior Superintendent of Police Shubham Agarwal.
The funds in question were part of a compensation package from the Punjab Small Industries and Export Corporation for the acquisition of 130 acres of shamlat (village common) land, intended for an industrial park project initiated during the previous Congress-led state government.
Police said the accused encashed a fixed deposit and, in collusion with unidentified bank officials, opened three private bank accounts in the name of the village panchayat. Over time, the funds were allegedly withdrawn through forged approvals—mandatory signatures of the BDPO—without initiating any development work or submitting estimates or bills.
The BDPO lodged an FIR against the sarpanch after discovering that over ₹28 crore had been withdrawn from the account, leaving only ₹23.78 crore. The Rural Development and Panchayats Department has since suspended both the sarpanch and the panchayat secretary Rajbir Singh, with the department’s director confirming the action through an official order.
“We received a complaint from the Sirhind BDPO, indicating large-scale financial irregularities. Based on preliminary findings, both the sarpanch and the secretary have been placed under suspension,” a department official confirmed.
A lookout notice has also been issued against the sarpanch. Police sources said that a case against the panchayat secretary is under process, as his name emerged during the SIT’s investigation.
The political fallout from the alleged scam has begun to surface. Former Congress MLA Kuljit Singh Nagra accused the accused of maintaining “close links” with ruling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leaders and called on Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann to initiate a Vigilance Bureau inquiry.
Meanwhile, local AAP MLA Lakhbir Singh Rai filed a formal complaint with the Deputy Commissioner of Fatehgarh Sahib. “It has come to my notice that a substantial amount was withdrawn from the village panchayat account. I have requested a full investigation into the matter,” Rai stated.
