ECI seeks report on Vigilance Bureau’s FIR against Ajit Editor-in-Chief Barjinder S Hamdard in Jang-e-Azadi memorial case

During a review meeting, the poll body's special observer for Lok Sabha election in Punjab asked the state's chief electoral officer (CEO) for a report from the Chief Secretary regarding the case. The Punjab Chief Secretary has been asked to submit a factual report by Thursday evening, so that the commission may be apprised.

On Wednesday, the Punjab Vigilance Bureau (VB) registered a case against 26 accused, including the Managing Editor of Ajit Group of Publications Barjinder Singh Hamdard, in the alleged case of misappropriation of funds in the construction of Rs 315 crore Jang-e-Azadi Memorial project at Kartarpur near Jalandhar. The VB has arrested 15 people which include Ludhiana-based builder Deepak Singal and 14 officials of the PWD in connection with the case.

VB, Jalandhar Range, registered a case FIR no. 9 dated 22.05.2024 under sections 420, 406, 409, 465, 467, 468, 471, 120-B of the IPC and section 13(1)A read with 13(2) of the Prevention of Corruption Act. 15 arrests have been made which include:

• Deepak Kumar Singal, owner of M/s. Deepak Builders, a resident of Raj Guru Nagar, Ludhiana,
• Arvinder Singh, Chief Engineer (Retired)-cum Independent Engineer, a resident of sector 38, Chandigarh,
• Tez Ram Katnauria, Xen PWD (B&R) Branch-2 Jalandhar (Chief Engineer Retired) resident of Jalandhar,
• Rajiv Kumar Arora, JE, (SDO Retired) PWD (B&R) Sub-Division provincial division-3 Jalandhar, resident of sector-11, Panchkula,
• Rohit Kumar JE, PWD (B&R) Construction Division-3 Jalandhar (Now JE Mechanical Division Jalandhar, a resident of Jalandhar,
• Raghwinder Singh Xen/Sub Divisional Officer, Public Works Department, Electrical Division Resident of Sector 110, Mohali,
• Santosh Raj Xen, Electrical Division Amritsar (Retd), a resident of Green City Akash Avenue, Amritsar,
• Harpal Singh SDO, Electrical Sub-Division Jalandhar (Xen Electrical Ludhiana), resident of Preet Nagar Ludhiana,
• Jatinder Arjun SDO, now Xen Electrical Sub-Division Jalandhar (Xen) Mechanical Division PWD (B&R Jalandhar), resident of Jalandhar Cantt,
• Harpreet Singh, JE Electrical Sub-Division Jalandhar Cantt, resident of village Jalal Bhulana, district Kapurthala,
• Mandeep Singh, JE Electrical Sub-Division Jalandhar, resident of Urban Estate Phase-2, Jalandhar,
• NP Singh, Xen, department of Water Supply and Sanitation, resident of Chhoti Barandri Jalandhar,
• Rajat Gopal, SDO, department of Water Supply and Sanitation, Jalandhar (Xen ,Water Supply and Sanitation department Tarn Taran), resident of Gopal Park Kapurthala,
• Gauravdeep, JE, Water Supply and Sanitation department Division-1, Jalandhar, resident of Master Tara Singh Nagar, Jalandhar
• Rohit Kondal, JE, Water Supply and Sanitation department Division-3 Jalandhar, Sub-Division Nakodar, district Jalandhar, a resident of Madhuban Kaluni, Kapurthala

What is the Jang-e-Azadi memorial case?

As per the FIR, it was found that the funds released by the Punjab Government for the construction of Jang-e-Azadi Memorial in Kartarpur have been misappropriated causing huge loss to the state exchequer to the tune of crores of rupees.