SANGRUR, June 13 -- The Punjab Vigilance Bureau (VB) has registered a case against five persons, including a former sarpanch of Balad Kalan village in Sangrur district, for allegedly embezzling nearly Rs.2 crore of panchayat funds between 2019 and 2023. The accused have been identified as Gurdev Singh, former sarpanch of Balad Kalan village, village development officers (VDOs) Manjeet Singh and Kulwinder Singh, and panchayat secretaries Kuldeep Singh and Dharam Singh. The FIR has been registered under Sections 409 (criminal breach of trust by a public servant) and 120-B (criminal conspiracy) of the Indian Penal Code, along with relevant provisions of the Prevention of Corruption Act. According to the FIR, an inquiry into allegations against Gurdev during his tenure as sarpanch from 2019 to 2023 revealed that he allegedly colluded to inflate development work expenditures by Rs.52.71 lakh. The investigation further found that expenditure worth Rs.1.41 crore was shown for boring and tubewell works in connivance with Jasveer Kumar, proprietor of M/s Jasveer Pipe Store, Bhawanigarh, and his son Vikram Kumar, now deceased, who owned M/s Balaji Submersible and Sanitary Store, Bhawanigarh. However, investigators reportedly found no documentary evidence to establish that the works had actually been carried out. The FIR also alleges that Rs.52.05 lakh was misappropriated by failing to record auction proceeds from panchayat common land and grant funds in the village cash book. VB senior superintendent of police, Patiala range, Rajpal Hundal said raids were being conducted to apprehend the accused. Further investigation in the case is underway....