PRESSBUREAU
The Punjab Vigilance Bureau has found no substantive evidence against former chief secretary Sarvesh Kaushal, KBS Sidhu and Kahan Singh Pannu in the multi-crore irrigation scam.
Chandigarh: The Punjab Vigilance Bureau (VB) has cleared three retired IAS officers, including former Punjab Chief Secretary Sarvesh Kaushal, in connection with the multi-crore irrigation scam after its detailed inquiry found no concrete evidence connecting them to the alleged irregularities.
Former Special Chief Secretary KBS Sidhu and former Irrigation Secretary Kahan Singh Pannu have also been cleared in the inquiry.
The development has emerged from a status report filed by the Punjab Vigilance Bureau before the Punjab and Haryana High Court on August 10, following directions issued by the court earlier this year.
The case concerns alleged irregularities in the allotment of state irrigation projects worth around ₹1,000-1,200 croreduring the SAD-BJP government between 2007 and 2017.
High Court Had Ordered Completion of Inquiry
The latest development comes after the High Court’s May 15 order, in which it directed the Punjab government to complete the inquiry within 15 days.
The court had noted that the inquiry, initiated after approval under Section 17A of the Prevention of Corruption Act, had remained pending for more than three years.
The Vigilance Bureau subsequently completed its examination and submitted its findings to the government, which were placed before the High Court through the status report.
Inquiry Found No Evidence Supporting Allegations
According to the VB report, examination of the available material did not yield evidence sufficient to substantiate the allegations against Kaushal, Sidhu and Pannu.
The inquiry was registered as Vigilance Inquiry No. 08 dated September 29, 2022, and was conducted by the bureau’s flying squad.
Permission to investigate the three officers had been granted in 2022 by then Punjab Chief Secretary B K Janjua.
The inquiry primarily stemmed from a disclosure statement allegedly made by accused contractor Gurinder Singh on December 21, 2017, during the investigation of an FIR registered on August 17, 2017.
The FIR involved offences under Sections 406, 409, 420, 467, 471, 477-A and 120-B of the IPC, besides provisions of the Prevention of Corruption Act.
No Recovery Made From Alleged Bribery Amounts
A key finding of the Vigilance Bureau was that none of the amounts allegedly mentioned in Gurinder Singh’s disclosure statement was recovered.
The bureau also observed that the disclosure statement itself was not part of the challan filed in the original FIR.
The inquiry report concluded that, in the absence of any recovery, the disclosure statement did not offer a sufficient evidentiary basis to proceed against the three retired bureaucrats.
The VB further reviewed the police file, challans and witness statements but found that the allegations could not be connected to any specific time, place, date, month or year.
No Witness Backed Bribery Allegations
The inquiry also found that no witness corroborated the bribery allegations against the three retired IAS officers.
The bureau was unable to identify any verifiable source of funds corresponding to the substantial amounts allegedly involved.
This was one of the key factors considered by the Vigilance Bureau in reaching its findings.
The original FIR had led to 16 challans – nine main and seven supplementary – against 32 accused individuals, comprising 26 government employees and six private persons.
VB Reviewed 588 Pages of Investigation Material
Before finalising its conclusions, the Vigilance Bureau examined 588 pages of investigation material gathered during the case.
The inquiry covered not only the allegations concerning the three officers but also the functioning of the Irrigation Department and the roles of senior officials and the political executive.
The suspects examined during the wider inquiry included the department’s secretary/chief secretary, the minister in charge and personal assistants to two ministers.
However, scrutiny of official records and departmental procedures did not establish any connection between Kaushal, Sidhu or Pannu and the alleged wrongdoing.
Tender Process Also Scrutinised
The bureau examined the established tendering and payment procedures followed by the Irrigation Department.
The scrutiny covered the process beginning with administrative and technical approval of estimates and preparation of the detailed notice inviting tender or bid document by the Executive Engineer.
It also reviewed approval by the Chief Engineer, verification of measurement books and bills, pre-audit procedures and the eventual release of payments to contractors.
The Vigilance Bureau found that examination of these procedures and associated official records did not yield material linking the three retired IAS officers to the alleged irregularities.
Scam Allegedly Involved Tailor-Made Tenders
The wider irrigation scam concerns allegations of fraudulent allocation of government water and irrigation projects during the SAD-BJP regime.
The allegations included claims that tenders were allegedly structured to favour a particular contractor, Gurinder Singh, allegedly in collusion with senior departmental officials and political functionaries.
The suspected irregularities were alleged to have resulted in significant losses to the state exchequer.
However, the latest Vigilance Bureau inquiry specifically relating to the three retired IAS officers did not find adequate evidence to establish their involvement.
Report Sent to Punjab Government for Final Decision
The inquiry report was prepared by the Joint Director (Crime), Punjab Vigilance Bureau, and subsequently submitted to the Chief Director of the bureau.
The Chief Director forwarded the report to the Secretary, Vigilance, Punjab Government, on May 27 for a final decision.
The status report was subsequently filed before the Punjab and Haryana High Court by Jai Inder Singh Randhawa, Deputy Superintendent of Police, Vigilance Bureau, on behalf of the Chief Director, VB.
Thus, although the Vigilance Bureau found no concrete evidence against the three retired IAS officers in the inquiry, the report has been forwarded to the competent government authority for the final decision.