Punjab: Embezzlement Case of ₹9.77 Lakh Registered Against Harditpura Cooperative Society Secretary

Police have registered a case against suspended secretary Kiranpreet Singh, a resident of Bhawanigarh, for the alleged embezzlement of ₹9.77 lakh from the Multipurpose Cooperative Society at Harditpura village near Bhawanigarh. According to officials, Raj Purohit, Assistant Registrar, Sangrur, submitted a written complaint to the Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP), Sangrur. The complaint stated that following grievances received from farmers regarding the functioning of society secretary Kiranpreet Singh, the department assigned Cooperative Societies Inspector Supinder Kaur to conduct an inquiry. After completing the investigation, she submitted her report to the department. Based on the findings, a three-member inquiry committee, including Cooperative Societies Inspector Chirag Garg, was constituted to examine the financial records of the farmer members of the Harditpura Cooperative Society. During the investigation, 20 members of the society informed the committee that they had deposited their loan repayments and interest amounts with secretary Kiranpreet Singh and had received official receipts for the payments. However, the inquiry allegedly found that ₹9,77,761 collected from the members had neither been entered into the society's official records nor deposited in the Cooperative Bank. The committee subsequently forwarded its report to the concerned authorities. Following the inquiry report, the management committee of the Harditpura Cooperative Society suspended Kiranpreet Singh and passed a resolution recommending legal action against him. Assistant Registrar Raj Purohit also urged the SSP, Sangrur, to initiate appropriate legal proceedings based on the findings of the management committee and the inquiry report. The SSP, Sangrur, issued written directions to the Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP), Bhawanigarh, on July 2 to take further action. Acting on these directions, Bhawanigarh Police registered an FIR against Kiranpreet Singh on July 12 under charges of embezzlement. Confirming the development, Assistant Sub-Inspector Jasbir Singh said that further investigation is underway. He added that the suspended secretary is currently residing outside Bhawanigarh, but police expect to arrest him soon.