VB Registers Disproportionate Assets Case Against Former Punjab Official Rakesh Kumar Singla and Wife

Punjab Vigilance Bureau (VB) has registered a disproportionate assets case against former Punjab bureaucrat Rakesh Kumar Singla and his wife Rachna Singla. The VB made this discovery while investigating an FIR in connection to a tender allotment scam worth crores of rupees in the Food and Civil Supplies Department.

Rakesh Kumar Singla was the Deputy Director for the Food and Civil Supplies Department, Punjab. He has been accused of having assets disproportionate to his known sources of income to the extent of Rs 1.36 crore. A spokesperson for VB said that an investigation into a tender allotment scam worth crores of rupees in the Food and Civil Supplies Department is what lead them to discover that Singla had taken huge bribe money and acquired a number of properties which were in his and his wife’s name.

The spokesperson explained that between April 1, 2011 and July 31, 2022, Singla purchased five valuable properties and spent Rs 3.68 crore while their income was Rs 2.31 crore only. An FIR has been registered against Singla and his wife under Section 13(1)(b), 13(2) under the Prevention of Corruption Act and Section 120-B of IPC.

It has been revealed that Singla had demanded a bribe of Rs 30 lakh from Telu Ram contractor. He was also closely associated with former Food and Civil Supplies Minister Bharat Bhushan Ashu.

Singla is currently absconding and has been declared a proclaimed offender by the Ludhiana court on the initiative of the Vigilance Bureau. A letter has been sent to CBI and Interpol regarding this case.

Vineet Washington