Mohali: A special Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) court in Mohali has convicted Joginder Singh, a former Executive Engineer (XEN) with the Punjab Public Works Department (PWD), in connection with a multi-crore fake billing scam. Special CBI Judge Baljinder Singh Sara handed down a five-year sentence of rigorous imprisonment to the former official after finding him guilty of causing financial loss to the state exchequer through fraudulent practices. The court also imposed a monetary fine as part of the ruling, while ordering that all sentences imposed under various charges will run concurrently.
The conviction encompasses several provisions under the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and the Prevention of Corruption Act. The court awarded five-year rigorous imprisonment terms under Section 420 for cheating and Section 467 for the forgery of valuable security or documents, along with three-year terms under additional related charges.
The case dates back to May 2011, when Joginder Singh was assigned the additional charge of overseeing development initiatives under the Bathinda Development Authority (BDA) in Mansa. Investigation revealed that fake bills totaling 1.62 crore rupees were fabricated for non-existent development works, siphoning off government funds. Following a comprehensive probe by the CBI, prosecution proceedings culminated in the verdict after a trial period spanning nearly 13 years.
