KANWALJIT SINGH Vs. STATE OF PUNJAB

JUDGEMENT

(1.) The petitioner seeks grant of regular bail in respect of a case registered against him vide FIR No.15 dtd. 29/8/2022 at Police Station Vigilance Bureau Range, District Jalandhar, under Ss. 406, 409, 420, 465, 468, 471, 477-A, 120-B IPC and Ss. 13(1)A read with Sec. 13(2) of the Prevention of Corruption Act.

(2.) The allegations, in nutshell, are that during the course of checking/audit of Karnana Multipurpose Cooperative Agriculture Society Ltd., Village Karnana, District SBS Nagar, embezzlement to the tune of Rs.7,14,07,596.23 came to notice and it was found that the said embezzlement had been committed by Randhir Singh, Committee Member (Ex. President), Sukhwinder Singh, Vice President, Ravinder Singh, Committee Member, Mohinder Lal, Committee Member, Kanwaljit Singh, Committee Member, Inderjit Dhir (Ex. Secretary) and Harpreet, Cashier. It was found that the accused were maintaining 2 computers, wherein in one of the said computers, the actual entries were being made, but in the other one, false entries were being made and the amount which had been deposited by the loanees/investors was not being recorded and it is the said computer which used to be shown at the time of audit.

(3.) Learned counsel for the petitioner has submitted that he was merely a Member of the Society and as such, would not have any role in the alleged embezzlement and that it is the then Secretary and the then Cashier, namely, Inderjit Singh and Harpreet Singh respectively, who are the main accused, who had embezzled the amount in question.