Gurdaspur’s then Sub-Divisional Magistrate Anupreet Kaur Randhawa has been arrested in connection with an alleged ₹1.63 crore embezzlement case linked to land acquisition and compensation distribution for the Rajasthan to Jammu and Kashmir National Highway project. The case relates to alleged irregularities during the 2018 to 2019 compensation process, where officials suspect manipulation of records and unlawful benefits to select individuals.
Irregularities Alleged in Compensation Distribution
According to officials, Randhawa is accused of extending undue benefits to certain individuals during her posting in the Patti region, where she was handling land acquisition-related responsibilities. Investigators allege that serious procedural violations occurred during the distribution of compensation.
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The alleged irregularities are believed to have caused financial loss to the state exchequer. Based on the findings, a case of misappropriation and embezzlement amounting to ₹1.63 crore was registered against her.
Administrative sources said Randhawa was taken into custody from her official residence in Gurdaspur after initial questioning. The case gathered pace after a review of land acquisition files revealed suspicious payments and unusually listed beneficiaries.
Records and Beneficiary Lists Under Probe
Investigators are examining the compensation disbursement process to determine how payments were approved and whether official records were manipulated. The inquiry has reportedly uncovered discrepancies in documents and several layers of procedural violations.
Preliminary findings indicate that compensation rates and land valuation processes may have been altered to benefit selected individuals. It is also alleged that eligibility norms were ignored in some cases, resulting in unauthorized approvals and payments.
Officials suspect that these irregularities may have led to an abnormal increase in project costs and government expenditure. The case has raised questions about transparency and monitoring mechanisms in land acquisition procedures.
Earlier Case Adds to Scrutiny
The latest allegations have also brought attention to an earlier case involving Randhawa. In 2021, she and a family member were booked in another financial irregularity case involving ₹88 lakh, which remains under judicial consideration.
Following the arrest, internal reviews and verification of land acquisition records have reportedly been intensified across concerned departments. Investigators are also conducting forensic and financial audits of documents linked to the highway compensation process.
Randhawa is currently being questioned in detail. Investigators believe further aspects of the compensation distribution process may emerge, potentially widening the scope of the case and deepening scrutiny of administrative decisions linked to the project.
