Haryana: CBI registers FIR in Rs 48 crore land compensation scam

The CBI has taken over the probe into a Rs 48 crore scam in Haryana in which government funds meant for disbursal as land compensation to farmers were allegedly misappropriated by a former district revenue officer of Panchkula in connivance with bank officials.

The investigation agency has registered an FIR against the then District Revenue Officer, Panchkula, Naresh Kumar Sheokand and the then Senior Manager of Punjab National Bank’s Jangpura Extention branch Bhim Singh for allegedly embezzling funds meant for land acquisition compensation from 2012 to 2015.

In its FIR, CBI has charged Sheokand and Singh with criminal conspiracy, criminal misconduct and forgery.

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The matter was referred to it on the basis of a complaint filed by Haryana State Vigilance Bureau.

The National Highway Authority of India had alleged that a “deficit of Rs 47 crore was found in bank accounts of District Revenue Officer cum land acquisition officer related to NHAI in 2015”.

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During an investigation, it was found that over Rs 37 crore was transferred to the accounts of 17 people, who were not awardees of compensation for land acquisition by HSIIDC and NHAI, the Vigilance Bureau report, now part of the CBI FIR, alleged.

The money was allegedly syphoned off by the DRO in connivance with bank officials and others. Rs 250 crore was also diverted illegally in March 2013 and ploughed back after about a month, it was alleged.

The Vigilance Bureau report said: “The role of officials of Punjab National Bank (Panchkula and New Delhi), Induslnd Bank (Panchkula), J&K Bank (Chandigarh), Canara Bank (New Delhi), Central Bank of India (New Delhi) and Maharashtra Bank (Yamunanagar) would also being probed as connivance of some other bank official is suspected.”