Chandigarh, 11 November 2024: The Punjab Vigilance Bureau has arrested Lakhwinder Singh, Managing Director of M/s Tung Builders Private Limited, Gurdaspur, on charges of embezzling government funds allocated for the construction of the District Judicial Complex in Nagar.
According to officials, the contractor had been absconding for over three months.
The case involves a tender issued by the Public Works Department (PWD) in 2017 for constructing the Judicial Complex, which was awarded to Tung Builders on August 3, 2017. Initially valued at Rs 35.19 crore, the project’s scope expanded to include parking facilities and residential quarters for judges, raising the total cost to nearly Rs 66 crore.
However, the contractor failed to complete the project within the stipulated 18-month period. Despite the delays, Tung Builders reportedly received Rs 53 crore in payments until March 2023. Following this, the PWD canceled the tender in May 2023 and formed a four-member committee to investigate the alleged financial irregularities.
The Vigilance Bureau’s investigation revealed negligence by eight PWD officials, leading to an excess payment of Rs 11.5 crore to the contractor. FIR No. 8 was registered on August 1, 2024, under sections 406, 409, and 420 of the IPC, and Section 7 of the Prevention of Corruption Act.
Raids are ongoing to apprehend the remaining accused in the case.
