In a high-profile case of suspected fraud, Mohali police detained three important members of the Chandigarh Congress, including the vice-president, his wife, and their son. The arrests come from allegations of defrauding a resident of ₹2.30 crore through a fraudulent sale of an industrial site.
The Vice President of Congress Women Wing, Chandigarh Ms. Balwinder Kaur, is arrested along with her husband, Roopinder Singh, who occupies a similar position at Chandigarh Congress. Furthermore, Ranjot Singh, who holds the office of General Secretary of Chandigarh Youth Congress, has also been taken into custody. Jaspal Singh, Roopinder’s father, was also picked up by the police for questioning regarding the matter. The raids took place at the couple’s residence located in Sector 27 A Chandigarh.
A complaint was made by Sorabh Goyal, who claimed that the accused duped him over a scheme involving a 2,500-square-yard industrial plot in Phase-8 B. Goyal stated that he shelled out ₹2.30 crore in cash and handwritten four cheques worth ₹70 lahks in the process. Despite the payment, the accused allegedly made a second agreement to sell the same plot to another party, accepting ₹10 lakh as token money.
Goyal reported that the deal was finalized in mid-December of the previous year with a total agreed amount of ₹14.28 crore. He initially paid ₹5 lakh as token money, with the full payment and cheques made on the agreement date, January 5, 2024. However, when attempts to clear the cheques failed and the accused failed to appear at the sub-registrar’s office as scheduled, Goyal grew suspicious.
Further investigation revealed that the accused had allegedly received ₹10 lakh from another buyer, Pritpal Singh and Amritpal Singh, for a higher price of ₹16.50 crore. Roopinder Singh claimed that other plot partners never signed the deal or received the cheques, accusing Goyal of forgery.
The investigation, led by SP HS Maan, supported Goyal’s allegations after Pritpal Singh and Amritpal Singh corroborated the claims and sought legal action for the token money they lost. The accused have been charged under Sections 406 (criminal breach of trust), 420 (cheating), and 120-B (criminal conspiracy) of the Indian Penal Code and are currently in a two-day police remand.
