The Vigilance Bureau (VB) has summoned former AAP Ropar MLA Amarjit Singh Sandoa for questioning in a multi-crore forestland scam.
According to a notice issued on May 7, Sandoa has been directed to appear before the Investigating Officer Harpreet Singh at the Vigilance Bureau office in Ropar at 10 am on May 8. The notice states that during investigation of FIR dated June 28, 2022, registered under Sections 420, 465, 467, 468, 471 and 120-B of the IPC along with Sections 7, 7A, 8 and 13 of the Prevention of Corruption Act, “reasonable grounds” had emerged to question Sandoa regarding facts and circumstances related to the case.
When contacted, Sandoa said he had no knowledge regarding the summons issued to him. The case pertains to alleged irregularities in the purchase of land by the Punjab State Forest Corporation for compensatory afforestation. In May 2019, the corporation had floated tenders for purchase of land for plantation purposes.
During investigation, the Vigilance allegedly found that around 54 acres and 8 marlas of land at Karura village near Nurpur Bedi was purchased at nearly Rs 9.9 lakh per acre despite the collector rate in the area being around Rs 90,000 per acre.
Investigators alleged that the land, allegedly classified as forestland, was shown on paper as non-forestland to facilitate the purchase at inflated rates, causing substantial loss to the state exchequer. The land had reportedly been offered by SGPC member Daljit Singh Bhinder and his brother Amarinder Singh Bhinder.
The probe later uncovered alleged money trails linked to the transaction. According to investigators, nearly Rs 2 crore connected to the land deal was transferred in September 2020 from accounts linked to the Bhinder brothers to a Jalandhar-based woman.
A substantial amount was later transferred to her husband, identified as Barinder Kumar, who allegedly paid Rs 19 lakh to a Toyota dealer on October 16, 2020.
