Mohali, December 8
The Vigilance Bureau here today filed a chargesheet against Girish Verma, former Executive Officer of the Zirakpur Municipal Council, for amassing disproportionate assets worth Rs 15 crore, along with gold and foreign tours, in a court here. However, the market value of the properties is said to be net worth Rs 250 crore.
The Vigilance filed the chargesheet of 3,433 pages having 33 witnesses. The Vigilance alleged that he had showrooms and residential properties in Chandigarh, Panchkula, Zirakpur and Dera Bassi. Besides him, the properties are also in the names of his wife Sangeeta Verma and son Vikas Verma. Apart from this, he had invested Rs 1.32 crore in two developer firms in the name of his son.
In the chargesheet, the VB also mentioned that it would probe the role of other persons who had transferred a huge sum of money into the accounts of Girish Verma’s family members. During further investigation, the Bureau might find more undisclosed moveable and immoveable properties amassed by the accused besides his links with higher public servants and businessmen.
The VB also fixed a period to investigate moveable and immoveable properties of the accused from April 1, 2008 to March 31, 2021. It came to light that the former EO had received an income of Rs 7,95,76,097 from all known sources and spent Rs 15,11,15,448 during this period. Thus, it was found that he spent more than Rs 7,15,39,352, which is 89.90 per cent of its income and accumulated wealth through corruption. On the basis of this probe, the VB charged Verma under Sections 13 (1) (b) and 13 (2) of the Prevention of Corruption Act at the VB police station, Mohali.
The VB also recovered gold from the lockers of Girish Verma. The VB also told before the court that Verma confessed that he used to share tainted money with minsters and higher officers. It further stated that they had recovered 232 grams of gold from the locker of a Panchkula-based bank. They suspect that the gold was purchased from the tainted money. The approximate value of the recovered gold is Rs 13 lakh.
The VB investigation has revealed that Girish Verma travelled to several countries, including Hong Kong, Germany, Thailand and Dubai, during his tenure. The Vigilance also produced his passport in the court.
Had Showrooms, residential properties
The Vigilance filed the chargesheet of 3,433 pages having 33 witnesses. The Vigilance alleged that he had showrooms and residential properties in Chandigarh, Panchkula, Zirakpur and Dera Bassi. Besides him, the properties are also in the names of his wife Sangeeta Verma and son Vikas Verma.
