Chandigarh, October 25: The Punjab Vigilance Bureau (VB) has made a significant breakthrough by arresting Gulshan Jain, a proclaimed offender (PO) linked to the multi-crore paddy scam exposed in Amritsar district. Gulshan Jain had been declared proclaimed offender by the court in 2019.

Gulshan Jain Arrested in connection with case FIR No. 44

Today, VB officials announced the arrest of Gulshan Jain from Jandiala, Amritsar district, in connection with FIR No. 44, dated 05.04.2018. The case, filed by the Jandiala Guru Police Station (Amritsar Rural), includes multiple IPC sections: 406, 409, 420, 467, 468, 471, and 120-B, along with section 13(1)(D) read with 13(2) of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988.

Authorities registered a case against ten individuals, including the Directors and Owners of Veeru Mal Mulkh Raj Rice Mill, who are Jain’s family members. Officials from the Punjab Food, Civil Supplies, and Consumer Affairs Department allegedly misappropriated and pilfered paddy worth about Rs 33.6 crores allotted to the mill by state procurement agencies.

VB also confirmed the arrest of DFSO Raminder Singh Bath, AFSO Vipan Sharma, Inspector Gurjinder Kumar, STA Parminder Singh Bhatia, and DFSC Amritpal Singh. Furthermore, a challan has been presented in court against them, detailing the charges they face.

paddy scam : Owners of the Mill had also allegedly defrauded the PNB

He also mentioned that the Directors/Owners of the Mill had also allegedly defrauded the Punjab National Bank in Jandiala Guru for approximately Rs. 200 crores. The Punjab Vigilance Bureau took over the investigation of the case on 24.04.2018. Currently, a Special Investigation Team (SIT) of the Vigilance Bureau is conducting further investigations under the supervision of the Additional Inspector General (AIG) of the Economic Offences Wing (EoW) in Mohali. The competent court declared five of the accused, including Gulshan Jain, as proclaimed offenders (PO) in 2019.

Accused was declare PO in 2019 

While setting aside his proclamation and Look Out Circular (LOC) on 03.07.2024, the Punjab and Haryana High Court ordered Gulshan Jain to surrender before the concerned court on or before 30.09.2024. In compliance with the High Court’s orders, the office of AIG, EoW, Punjab, provided intimation regarding this matter to the Director Bureau of Immigration, he added.

VB secures 5-day police remand of accused

Meanwhile, the CBI arrested the accused Gulshan Jain at Indira Gandhi International (IGI) Airport, New Delhi, in connection with other cases registered against him by the agency. The spokesperson said that the Vigilance Bureau (VB), after obtaining his production warrant, arrested him in the aforementioned case on Thursday. The Court has granted a 5-day police remand of the accused.