In a money laundering case involving revenue officials and others, Varinder Pal Singh Dhoot, the former Naib Tehsildar of the village of Seonk in SAS Nagar, Punjab, was detained by the Directorate of Enforcement (ED) on April 20, 2023, for misallocating shares of shamlat (panchayat) land to the tune of more than 99 acres in the names of ineligible villagers and in some cases, even outsiders.
In the present instance, an inquiry was started based on a First Information Report (FIR) filed by the Punjab Vigilance Bureau under many sections of the Indian Penal Code and the Prevention of Corruption Act. The claims against the accused Varinder Pal Singh Dhoot and others were confirmed in a chargesheet that the Vigilance Bureau submitted in the aforementioned FIR.
According to the inquiry, Varinder Pal Singh Dhoot and other revenue officials assigned portions of shamlat land belonging to the hamlet of Seonk in the names of six residents when drafting the Intkal. These villagers thereafter granted the private property dealers power of attorney, and in collaboration with revenue authorities, these private property dealers sold shamlat land to ineligible residents as well as some strangers on the basis of this power of attorney. The private property sellers and revenue authorities split the sale proceeds among themselves, providing a little sum to the villagers who provided the power of solicitors as well.
When bank accounts kept by Varinder Pal Singh Dhoot in his and his family members’ names were examined as part of the inquiry, inexplicable credits totalling more than Rs 15 crore, including cash credits of over Rs 8 crore during the relevant time, were discovered. Additionally, it came to light during the inquiry that Varinder Pal Singh Dhoot had received the money in the bank accounts of his family members from the friends and relations of the eventual buyer and/or the beneficial owners of the Shamlat land.
Additionally, the majority of the Shamlat land’s sale proceeds were paid in cash. Although LEA did not identify any POC, it is estimated that the abovementioned shamlat land is worth more than Rs 50 Crore. Additionally, unaccounted-for cash credits in Varinder Pal Singh Dhoot’s accounts for which he has not offered a convincing justification for the cash he got. The probe is being expanded upon.
