PAWAN KUMAR Vs. STATE OF PUNJAB

JUDGEMENT

(1.) This order shall dispose of the above mentioned two petitions filed on behalf of petitioners Prem Chand, Yogesh Gupta and Pawan Kumar seeking grant of anticipatory bail in respect of a case registered vide FIR No.20, dtd. 15/9/2022, Police Station Vigilance Bureau Range Ferozepur, District Ferozepur, under Ss. 7, 8, 12, 13(2) of Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988 amended Sec. of P.C. (Amendment) Act, 2018 and Ss. 420, 409, 467, 468, 471, 120-B of Indian Penal Code.

(2.) The FIR was lodged at the instance of one Jaspal Singh, wherein it is alleged that tenders had been floated during the procurement season 2019-2020 for the purpose of labour and cartage charges for transportation of food grains. It is alleged that contractors Rishu Mittal, Prem Chand, Yogesh Gupta, Pawan Kumar, Vishu Mittal tendered their bids by furnishing incorrect particulars of vehicles and that some of the registration numbers furnished by them were infact assigned to two-wheelers. It is alleged that said persons by way of furnishing incorrect particulars had been successful in getting contracts for transportation of food grains and had thus cheated and caused huge loss to various government agencies.

(3.) Learned counsel for the petitioners has submitted that the FIR in question has been lodged by a private individual, who is inimical towards the petitioners inasmmuch as he had previously lodged another FIR against the petitioners for various offences under Indian Penal Code i.e. FIR No.0077, dtd. 16/5/2019, Police Station Jaito, District Faridkot, under Ss. 452, 341, 323, 148, 149, 120-B of Indian Penal Code (Annexure P-4 in CRM-M-54229-2022). It has further been submitted that there could have been some mistake in furnishing of registration numbers of vehicles as initially all the registration certificates in respect of transport vehicles as mentioned in their tender bid were not available and that the government agencies, in any case, had not suffered any loss as the food grains in question had been transported well in time.