Retired Punjab Mandi Board Officer and Wife Fall Victim to Multi-Crore Property Fraud

Mohali: A retired senior officer of the Punjab Mandi Board and his wife have been duped in a significant property fraud case. Rajinder Pal Singh, a former General Manager (Estate) of the Punjab Mandi Board, and his wife, Tejbir Kaur, purchased a 502.32 sq yard house in Sector 70, Mohali, for Rs 67.5 lakh in 2008. The sellers, Parampreet Singh Brar and Sehajbir Singh, claimed that the property's registry, executed in 2005, was misplaced and that an FIR (DDR) regarding the loss was already lodged. Trusting their claim, the couple bought the house without inspecting the original sale deed.

The truth came to light in August 2022 when Mohali police informed Rajinder Pal Singh that the property was attached by a SEBI-appointed committee headed by former Chief Justice RM Lodha. Investigations revealed that the house was actually purchased on September 16, 2005, using funds from PACL, a real estate company involved in a multi-crore scam. The original sale deed was recovered by the CBI from PACL in 2014.

During SEBI's hearings, it was established that Parampreet and Sehajbir were merely associates of PACL and had no legal right to sell the house. In February 2023, the court dismissed Singh's objections, leaving the couple without any legal claim to the property.

Alleging collusion, Rajinder Pal Singh named local property dealer ID Singh of Ajit Associates, Phase 3B2, Mohali, in the fraud, accusing him of facilitating the deal. He submitted a written complaint to the SSP (Mohali) seeking legal action against all the accused. 'This is a clear case of cheating and criminal conspiracy. We trusted the sellers in good faith, but they defrauded us by misrepresenting facts,' Singh said in his complaint. Police have stated that the matter is being investigated.

The Punjab Mandi Board, a statutory body responsible for the regulation of agricultural markets in Punjab, has a long history of serving farmers and ensuring fair trade practices. The board plays a crucial role in the state's agricultural economy, and this incident has raised concerns about the integrity of property transactions involving retired board officials.

The PACL scam, which has been under investigation by SEBI, has affected many innocent buyers who were misled about the true ownership and legal status of properties. This case highlights the importance of due diligence and the need for buyers to verify the authenticity of property documents before making any transactions.