Gurdaspur SDM arrested for misappropriation

Gurdaspur: The sub-divisional magistrate (SDM) of Gurdaspur, Anupreet Kaur Randhawa, was arrested by the Tarn Taran police from her official residence early Saturday morning in connection with the alleged embezzlement in land compensation funds for a highway project.Surendra Lamba, senior superintendent of police (SSP), Tarn Taran, said a police team conducted the operation and took the Punjab Civil Services (PCS) officer into custody.Randhawa, a 2012-batch PCS officer, has been accused of misappropriating funds worth Rs 1.63 crore meant for land acquisition under the National Highway-54, which connects Jammu to Rajasthan via Amritsar and Bathinda. The investigation into the case is still underway.According to reports, the alleged scam dates back to 2019 when Randhawa was serving as the Patti SDM and was acting as the competent authority for land acquisition.The police investigations reportedly found that Rs 1.63 crore in compensation funds was fraudulently transferred to five individuals whose land had not been acquired for the highway project.Following an inquiry, an FIR was registered against Randhawa and five others on Sept 5, 2019.According to the police, the former SDM of Patti, Navraj Singh Brar, had lodged a complaint with the then deputy commissioner, Pradeep Sabharwal, over the alleged embezzlement.The complaint stated that govt compensation released for land acquisition between Jan 9, 2018, and Feb 11, 2019, was allegedly diverted into the bank accounts of five ineligible beneficiaries.In another case registered in 2021, Randhawa and her brother, Sandeep Singh, were also booked for allegedly misappropriating Rs 88 lakh.Besides the financial allegations, Randhawa has also been involved in personal controversies. She had previously filed a complaint against her husband, former hockey player Bachitar Singh, accusing him of domestic violence and issuing death threats. Bachitar Singh was subsequently arrested in connection with the case.