Chandigarh: While expressing profound grief over the unfortunate suicide of DFSO Kamaldeep Singh Gill, the Punjab Vigilance Bureau stated that the investigation agency was probing missing of 34,038 paddy bags from Sardar Rice Mill, Sadopur, tehsil Malerkotla in Sangrur district since December 2016 which was confirmed by the special team through physical verification of the stock in the mill last year on December 14.

Disclosing this a Spokesperson of Vigilance Bureau said a surprise check of this rice mill was conducted by the team of Vigilance Bureau officers comprising of DFSC VB, Inspector VB/EOW and officers of PUNSUP including DFSO PUNSUP Hqrs, DFSO Malerkotla and PUNSUP Inspector who reported that PUNSUP officials/officers and the rice mill owner were responsible for missing of paddy worth Rs.2.55 crore.

On the basis of their findings, the Economic Offences Wing (EOW) of VB has called DFSC Sangrur Manjit Singh along with the records to Bureau office at Chandigarh on September 13. Manjit Singh, DFSC attended the office of VB and stated that the paddy was allotted on the recommendations of DFSO Kamaldeep Singh Gill, AFSO Harpreet Singh and Inspector Food and Civil Supplies Gurinder Singh Rana posted at Malerkotla, and as such further verification of facts may be done from them.

He informed that Manjit Singh also told the officers of VB that he would direct DFSO Kamaldeep Singh Gill, AFSO Harpreet Singh and Gurinder Singh Rana, Inspector Food and Supplies Department to attend the office of Vigilance Bureau for verification of facts. DFSO Kamaldeep Singh Gill, AFSO Harpreet Singh and Gurinder Singh Rana, Inspector Food and Supplies Department visited the office of Vigilance Bureau and got their statements recorded.

Giving details of the embezzlement in paddy milling, DFSO Kamaldeep Singh Gill said that Sardar rice mill was transferred to Harjit Singh of Khanna through an ownership deed by its owner Darshan Singh and others on October 8, 2016 and the above said PUNSUP officers recommended to the State to allot 2.0 MT paddy to this mill during the last paddy season despite its shelling capacity of only 1.5 MT.

The spokesperson said while the investigation and verification of misappropriation of paddy was still going on, DFSO Gill has committed suicide making 04 persons responsible namely Harjit Singh, Happy Sharma, Manjit Singh and Surinderpal, in the suicide note.

He further added that DFSO Gill in his suicide note has mentioned that he felt bad at being examined by the VB for this embezzlement but he has clearly mentioned the names of above said persons for committing mistake in this regard at the instance of DFSC Manjit Singh. The deceased along with his colleagues in their statements to VB have also mentioned the pressure of DFSC and mill owner Harjit Singh besides further wrongful recommendation by him (the DFSC) to the Directorate at Chandigarh for allotment of paddy to the sheller.

The spokesperson said the Vigilance Bureau has expressed sympathy with the family of Gill for the irreparable loss they have suffered and reiterated that VB would probe this embezzlement of paddy case in a fair and impartial manner.