Cong leader Sodhi booked for alleged fraud and forgery

Phagwara (Punjab), Feb 17: Police today booked seven persons including Congress leader and former chairman of Phagwara Improvement Trust, Balbir Raja Sodhi, on charges of alleged fraud and forgery in the allotment of the Trust properties.

On a complaint lodged by Trust’s present executive officer Surinder Kumari, police registered the case against Sodhi, former executive officer Jatinder Singh, Amarjit Singh (retired superintendent), former ATE Rakesh Kumar, former dead draftsman Rajeev Kumar, former assistant Kulwant Singh and former clerk Narinder Sharma.

Phagwara SP Ashwani Kumar, when contacted, today confirmed the development. The complainant alleged that Sodhi, during his tenure as Trust Chairman, and others had done embezzlement worth crores of rupees, causing huge loss to government.

Police booked them under Sections 420 (cheating), 465 (forgery), 468 (forgery for purpose of cheating), 471(using as genuine a forged document),120-B (punishment of criminal conspiracy) of IPC.

PTI