(MOREPIC1)Face2News/Mohali
Mohali Distt Court on Thursday Girish Verma, former executive officer (EO) of the Zirakpur municipal council and a luxary lifer, who was arrested for allegedly amassing huge wealth beyond his disclosed sources of his income, have been remanded to Police Custody for five days for further interrogation. He may be suspended with in day or two from Bhikhiwind in Tarantarn Distt.
Vigilance Bureau (VB) officials had sought Verma’s seven-day remand, citing that detailed investigation regarding the source of his properties was required.
The officials contended that the investigation will lead the VB to the builders who were hand in glove with the accused, who was currently posted as EO, Bhikhiwind, Amritsar.
They claimed that since the accused’s son owned two firms worth crores, investigation was required to explore all channels of his income. During the probe, the bureau is also likely to find more undisclosed moveable/immoveable properties amassed by the accused, besides his links with higher public servants and businessmen.
Through the investigation so far, the bureau has found 10 different properties that have been purchased by Verma in his name, besides his wife Sangeeta Verma and son Vikas Verma’s names.
Among these properties are commercial showrooms in Zirakpur and Panchkula, and houses in Panchkula and Ludhiana. The accused also purchased plots in Kansal, Chandigarh; Dhakoli, Zirakpur, and Khudal Kalan, Mansa. Apart from this, he had invested 1.32 crore in two developer firms in the name of his son.(SUBHEAD)
A VB spokesperson had earlier said that the bureau will also probe the role of other persons who had transferred huge amounts of money into the accounts of Verma and his family members.
As part of the initial probe, VB had looked into the accused’s moveable and immoveable properties between April 1, 2008 and March 31, 2021, and found that while he received an income of 7,95,76,097 from all known sources during the aforesaid period, he spent 15,11,15,448. “Thereby, it was found that he spent more than 7,15,39,352, which is 89.90% more than his income, and that he accumulated wealth through corruption,” the spokesman had said.
Verma is facing a case under Sections 13 (1) (b) and 13 (2) of the Prevention of Corruption Act, registered at the VB police station in Mohali.
Sources said, few officers who was posted in Zirakpur , Mohali district and a former Minister, was also on the Radar of Vigilance Bureau, investigating the case. More arrests are likely. The NOC issued to Hotel and Builders in his tenure in Zirakpur was also in question.
