Chandigarh: The Punjab Vigilance Bureau (VB) said on Sunday that it had attached four properties of Rakesh Kumar Singla, former deputy director of food, civil supply department and his wife Rachna Singla situated in Ludhiana.
This action was taken on the Ad Interim attachment orders passed by the court of Dr Ajit Attri, special judge, Ludhiana on August 8, 2023.
Case Background
Notably, a case dated 16-08-2022 under various sections of IPC and Prevention of Corruption Act was registered against former Cabinet minister Bharat Bhushan Ashu, his close associate Rakesh Kumar Singla and others at VB police station, Ludhiana Range in connection with illegal allotment of labour, cartage tenders to the various contractors for the year 2020-21.
The accused Rakesh Kumar Singla had also been declared proclaimed offender (PO) on December 3, 2022 and Red Corner Notice had also been issued against him.
An official spokesperson of the VB said that Rakesh Kumar Singla had purchased a number of properties during his posting in the department and while holding charge as chairman of Central Vigilance Committee (CVC) of the said department.
Property Accumulation
During the investigation, the VB found that Rakesh Kumar Singla had purchased five properties including a plotat Abadi Guru Amardas Nagar Ludhiana, two plots each at Bhai Randhir Singh Nagar Ludhiana, a house at Rajguru Nagar Ludhiana and a flat, Category-A, RCS Punjab Cooperative Society, Gazetted Officers, Sector 48-A, Chandigarh.
All these five properties were purchased by him in the name of his wife Rachna Singla during the period from April 2011 to July, 2022. Out of these, four properties situated at Ludhiana have been attached.
Disproportionate Assets Case
In this regard, a separate criminal case of Disproportionate Assets (DA) under Prevention of Corruption Act and criminal conspiracy (120-B of IPC) was registered against both Rakesh Kumar Singla and his wife Rachna Singla and they both were absconding in this case, he added.
During the check period from April , 2011 to July 2022, their income was Rs 2,59,68,952 against the expenditure of Rs 4,43,87,182, which was 70.92% more than his known sources of income.
Meanwhile, the spokesperson said that VB had traced six more properties purchased by Singla in the name of his wife Rachna and son Swaraj Singla and that further probe was on.
