Sikander Singh admits he took Rs 80 lakh from the unemployed

The counsel appearing for the Delhi-based NGO admitted having received more than Rs 50 lakh from Sikander Singh in the shape of drafts etc,and agreed to refund the entire amount to the concerned persons,through the High Court.

The High Court,then,directed the Delhi-based NGO to submit a detailed list of the amounts received from Sikander Singh,along with the detailed particulars of the applicants who had paid the said amount.

The entire amount has to be deposited with the High Court within a period of one month,to enable the High Court to pass further orders for disposal and distribution of the said amount to the concerned persons.

In the aforesaid PIL,filed by Advocate H C Arora,it was alleged that Sikander Singh had issued an advertisement for inviting applications for various posts from unemployed persons,like “motivator volunteers”,who were to give computer training to the unemployed persons.

He had allegedly misused the name of ‘Sarv Sikhia Abhiyan Authority,Punjab’ by using a similar name in his public notice and collected huge amounts from unemployed persons under the pretext of giving them employment. While issuing appointment letters,Sikander Singh had stipulated a condition in the appointment letters requiring the prospective employees to deposit a security amount ranging between Rs 20,000 and 30,000 approximately.

On the previous date of hearing,it was brought to the notice of the High Court that Sikander Singh had issued appointment letters to Sonia Rai (of Nawanshahar) for the post of ‘caretaker-cum-counselor officer’ at Georgia,and got an amount of Rs 3 lakh from her towards refundable security.

During the hearing on Thursday,while Sikander Singh denied having obtained any such huge amounts from any other person,the petitioner H C Arora produced a cheque of Rs 5 lakh issued by Sikander Singh to Dilbag Singh of Kadian (Tehsil: Batala) for appointing him as field officer.

A Punjab law officer also stated before the Court that Sikander Singh had collected similar huge amounts from at least three persons.

At this stage,the High Court observed that Sikander Singh was not disclosing true and correct facts. The Court therefore directed the IO ( Investigation Officer) to produce the entire record seized from the office of Sikander Singh before him in jail,to enable him to go through the record and to submit a complete list of the amounts collected by him from various persons.

The Bench further directed the Jail authorities to produce Sikander Singh before the HC on the next date of hearing also,and adjourned the PIL for further hearing to May 16.