Amritsar: In a major development, Punjab Police arrested senior administrative officer Anupreet Kaur Randhawa in connection with an alleged fraud case involving compensation linked to land acquisition for the Katra-Amritsar Expressway project.
Officials said the accused, currently serving as Sub-Divisional Magistrate in Gurdaspur, was taken into custody by Patti Police from her official residence during an early morning operation.
The case pertains to an alleged financial irregularity of ₹1.63 crore connected to the land acquisition process for the high-profile expressway corridor. Investigators suspect manipulation in official records and irregular disbursal of compensation funds during the acquisition exercise.
Police sources said Randhawa had been named among the accused during the ongoing probe, following complaints related to alleged discrepancies in compensation claims and payment approvals.
Authorities have not yet disclosed full details of the alleged fraud, but preliminary findings suggest that compensation linked to acquired land parcels may have been processed through questionable documentation.
The Katra-Amritsar Expressway is considered a key infrastructure project aimed at improving connectivity between Punjab and Jammu and Kashmir. The project has involved large-scale land acquisition across multiple districts, making compensation procedures highly sensitive and closely monitored.
Officials familiar with the investigation said financial records and land ownership documents are being examined to establish the exact nature of the suspected irregularities and identify whether more individuals were involved.
Police are expected to question the officer further to trace the flow of funds and determine how the alleged fraud was executed.
The arrest has sent shockwaves through administrative circles, with officials awaiting further details from investigators as the case unfolds.
Senior police officers said additional legal action could follow depending on the outcome of custodial interrogation and scrutiny of official files related to the expressway acquisition process.
