Manpreet’s ex-media adviser arrested for `1.5-crore fraud

Wednesday, 20/05/2015

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CHANDIGARH: The economic offences wing (EOW) of the Chandigarh Police on Tuesday arrested former media adviser to the then finance minister and People’s Party of Punjab (PPP) chief Manpreet Badal for allegedly duping a Chandigarh-based businessman of `1.5 crore on the pretext of selling him 1 acre of land in SAS Nagar.

Accused Arunjot Singh (right) and Jagjeet Singh in the custody of the economic offences wing in Chandigarh on Tuesday.

The accused has been identified as 52-year-old Arunjot Singh Sodhi. The police have also arrested his driver Jagjeet Singh in the case, besides impounding Sodhi’s Toyota Fortuner SUV which he bought after taking money from the city-based businessman. Sodhi is presently a national executive member of the Rashtriya Sikh Sangat.

THE FRAUD
Police officials said Sodhi, was heads a television channel in Chandigarh, entered into an agreement with Rakesh Jain and his wife Bindu Jain on January 1, 2013, saying that he knew an SAS Nagar-based landlord, Jagjeet Singh, who wanted to sell his 1 acre land in Manoli village for `2.5 crore. After the deal was struck, Jain, who runs a showroom in Sector 17, Chandigarh, gave Sodhi six cheques for `1.2 crore and `30 lakh in instalments.

The police said Sodhi had shown documents to Jain in which his driver Jagjeet Singh, who was projected as the landlord, had further entered into an agreement with Jagtar Singh, another landlord, for buying 1 acre of land from him for `1.5 crore. However, Jain got suspicious and after verifying land records from the revenue department, it came to light that neither Jagjeet nor Jagtar owned land in Manoli village.

Jain lodged a complaint against Sodhi and his driver Jagjeet with the SAS Nagar police. However, the police arrested Jain for allegedly preparing a forged agreement. Following this, Jain moved the Punjab and Haryana high court which granted him bail. Jain also filed an appeal in the court to transfer the case to the EOW of the Chandigarh Police.

The Chandigarh Police registered a case against Sodhi and Jagjeet at the Sector 17 police station on January 1, 2015.

TRIED TO EVADE ARREST
Sodhi tried to give police the slip when cops went to his Sector 70 residence in SAS Nagar to arrest him.

The accused scaled a wall and tried to hide in his neighbour’s house. A team led by Inspector Charanjit Singh Virk nabbed him after an hour’s struggle as he created ruckus to evade arrest. The police said Sodhi and Karamjeet Kaur, who is wife of officer on special duty (OSD) to the deputy chief minister, were partners in the GPS Publisher and were taking out a weekly newspaper.

The police said they were confirming whether Karamjeet played any role in the fraud as `46 lakh was transferred in the account of GPS Publisher. However, Charanjit Singh Brar, OSD to the deputy CM, said his wife was a partner in the newspaper that was shut down in 2010.