Finally, VB books DTO Faridkot

Recipient of Prez Medal, the PCS officer NS Brar faces serious corruption charges

Rajay Deep
Bathinda

Finally after complying with the weeks-long departmental formalities, Vigilance Bureau officials of Bathinda Range on Thursday evening booked District Transport Officer of Faridkot Nachhattar Singh Brar for committing fraud with the state treasury by misusing his official position.

The VB officials also found Brar (a 2005-batch PCS officer) accused of issuing fancy registration numbers of the vehicles by making false entries in the official records.

He has been booked under sections 420, 467, 468, 120-B of the IPC along with section 13 (1) D and 13 (2) of the Prevention of Corruption Act.

It is pertinent to mention that Brar had recently received the President of India 2011 Census Medal from the Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal.

According to information procured from the Bathinda Range office of the VB, after receiving serious complaints, the cops had conducted the record inspection of DTO office in question from November 28 to December2, 2014.

During the preliminary investigations, the VB officials found lot of documents being tampered with. The investigations led to the revelation that the officer had organised a “fake” auction of 138 fancy numbers in Faridkot as the DTO on January 16, 2014, which as per the claims were left out. Probing it, the investigators found that the numbers were sold on the sly, allegedly by agents in connivance with the DTO.

But to a surprise, such numbers were shown as having been sold during the auction. Unmindful of the consequences, the DTO office also dared to enter various names as the participants of the auction, who in fact had not done so. The VB then launched a probe into Brar’s assets and found gross instances of corruption.

The VB officials conducted a random inspection of 10 out of total 72 registers of the office and found various figures mutilated. They also observed that various registration copies were made with the incomplete or wrong addresses given by the applicants. Such applications were processed and the registration done, allegedly for monetary gratification.

During the inspection, the VB also suspected the possibility of several stolen vehicles being registered in Faridkot.

Further, there were various documents, which led the VB officials to learn that the DTO office was issuing no objection certificates (NOCs) to the hypothecated vehicles even before the due payment of the loans was made by the owners to the banks.

Vehicles running on loans in other states were brought to the Faridkot office to get NOCs for some fixed sum of ‘bribe’.

The investigations had also suggested that the DTO was allegedly working in close collaboration with a Mansa-based agent who used to be with Brar most of the time.

It was also ironic to learn that the agent would use Brar’s car to move about and collect applications on his behalf. He used to process the papers and was virtually running the DTO office in Faridkot as a de facto in charge, shared a VB official.

Interestingly, after learning that the VB was in no mood to show any leniency, the DTO had raised a hue and cry. He lodged a complainant with Faridkot Deputy Commissioner and the State Transport Commissioner as well, alleging the VB broke open the record room of his office to procure the documents without even seeking permission for the same and also accused them of snatching the record.

Responding to it, the VB officials denied it saying that they had taken the permission for collecting the records and the inspection was being done in the presence of government witnesses.

However, finding the accused may create any more trouble, the VB Director Suresh Arora asked the range official to dispatch the whole record in their possession to the headquarters at Chandigarh for further inspection.

Finally, the VB officials could ascertain his guilt and sent the file to the office of Chief Secretary for seeking the approval to register a case against the PCS official, who was on the extension, after being originally retired.

Getting nod from the top bureaucrat of the state, the VB Director on Friday asked the Bathinda range officials to register the case on the DTO and his accomplices including some clerks and agents. Following, the officials registered a case at Bathinda office of the VB on late evening.

Confirming the development, Bathinda Range Vigilance Bureau SSP Sukhdev Singh Chahal said, “The case has been registered and the further investigation has been assigned to the Special Investigation Team.”

Repeated attempts made to contact NS Brar for his version turned futile as his phone number was out of reach.