Rs 1.17 crore embezzlement detected at PSEB, two held
Punjab Newsline Network
Saturday, 16 January 2010
MUKTSAR: The recently exposed scam of Rs 1.17 crore at the PSEB office, Muktsar put the whole staff in the dock. The prime accused Sukhpal Singh, head cashier at the local office of the Punjab State Electricity Board (PSEB) has been suspended.

Sukhpal Singh, who allegedly decamped with the money, is still at large, police have arrested a revenue accountant, Yograj and a lower division clerk Krishan Kumar, after the PSEB officials alleged their connivance in the crime.

Sources in the PSEB informed that police had interrogated a lower cashier Satwant Kaur also but failing to ascertain her involvement in the crime, she was conditionally released. On the other hand, the PSEB authorities have suspended Sukhpal Singh, Yograj and Krishan Kumar.

Executive engineer, PSEB, Muktsar, informed that the department had suspended Satwant Kaur also but in the absence of any authentic proof of her involvement in the scam, she was reinstated on Friday. Meanwhile, he suspected that many other could have been involved in the case as the investigations were going on in a detailed manner.

Giving details of the incident, the PSEB officials alleged that Sukhpal had been cheating the department since December 1, 2009. He used to avoid depositing a part of cash in the bank but kept the departmental register up to date.

The scam was exposed when on January 12, he left the office in the morning with a cash amounting to about Rs 12 lakh to deposit in the bank but did not turn up till 4 pm. Worried over his absence, the staff tried a lot to contact him but found his mobile phone switched off.

Suspecting foul play, the officials brought the matter to the notice of higher authorities and then lodged an FIR with the city police, Muktsar. Later, investigating in detail, the officials observed a discrepancy of Rs 1.18 crore in the accounts. Meanwhile, they detected that Sukhpal had taken away some official records as well. Sources in the department said that being a head cashier of the office, Sukhpal Singh, used to have possession of one of the two keys of the cash safe. With the trust of the revenue accountant, Yograj, he managed to get the other key also.

Meanwhile, officials termed the scam as a “well planned” move of Sukhpal, disclosing that he had a vacant plot in Muktsar, which he sold just a few days before fleeing.

Chief Engineer, PSEB (west zone), GP Singh said, “We have been investigating the case in detail as all records are being thoroughly inspected. Anybody found guilty would not be spared at any cost.”

When contacted, SHO, Muktsar, Davinder Singh said, “A case has been registered under sections 409, 120-B and 201 of the IPC. We have arrested two accused, namely, Yograj and Krishan Kumar, while the prime accused Sukhpal Singh is still at large.”