Senior SAD leader and former Technical minister Jagdish Singh Garcha and Director Outreach Colleges, Punjab Technical University, Jalandhar, A.S. Grewal were arrested by the Vigilance Bureau in Ludhiana today on charges of fraud and corruption in PTU and brought to Jalandhar for further inquiry.
Search parties were also despatched to nab H.S. Guram, former PTU V-C and Garcha’s son Parminder Singh. FIRs have been filed against four persons including Garcha, Grewal, H.S. Guram and Parminder Singh under various sections of IPC and the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988.
Vigilance sources revealed that an FIR was registered and search parties were sent out last night. Garcha was arrested in the morning from Ludhiana while Grewal was brought to the Vigilance office at 10.30 am.
All the four accused have been charged with damaging PTU’s interests and appropriating benefits for themselves under its Distance Education Programme. The FIR mentioned that they had caused a loss of Rs 1.1 crore to the PTU in the last five years. Another charge relates to illegal 95 ad hoc appointments in the PTU to appoint their near and dear ones.
Vigilance sources said that Grewal’s appointment is also under a cloud as he is an under-graduate and has been appointed as Director Outreach PTU which requires a minimum MSc degree and other higher qualifications.
Garcha will be presented in court today.