Retired Punjab Civil Service officer held in Jalandhar land compensation scam case

Chandigarh, Jul 31 (PTI) A retired Punjab Civil Service officer was arrested for his alleged role in a "scam" related to compensation for land acquired for a housing project in Jalandhar, the Punjab Vigilance Bureau said on Wednesday.

During a probe into the acquisition of 94.97 acres for Surya Enclave Extension by the Jalandhar Improvement Trust, it was found that forged documents were used to pay compensation of Rs 5.49 crore to some people who were not the actual landowners.

Iqbal Singh Sandhu, the retired officer, was then posted as sub-divisional magistrate-cum-land acquisition collector of the Jalandhar Improvement Trust, a bureau spokesperson said.

The case, registered in October 2013, was later transferred to the bureau.

In connivance with officials of the trust and his acquaintance Manjit Sharma, a resident of Jalandhar's Aman Nagar, Sandhu allegedly forged documents for the distribution of compensation to people not entitled to it.

The spokesperson said 14 people have already been arrested in the case.

Sandhu will be produced in a Jalandhar court on Thursday. PTI CHS CHS SZM