NRI Sabha chief, sons declared POs Accused of embezzling lakhs of rupees

Ludhiana, October 2, 2005
The multi-lakh rupees money transfer scam involving the Deol family of Mullanpur Dakha, having huge properties in India and Canada, has come to the fore again with the main accused, Raja Deol, being declared a proclaimed offender (PO) in three cases of cheating, while his father, a former NRI Sabha chief, and brother being declared POs in two cases.
The accused had allegedly duped several persons in Punjab and Haryana.
The proclamation orders have enabled the police to come a step closer to the much-awaited extradition of the three accused who had fled the country earlier this year.
The police would also now be able to attach their properties. The family owns a palatial house on a farm near Mullanpur Dakha besides other properties in India and Canada.
The police is however worried at reports emanating from Canada that the accused have floated a new money transfer company there.
The police is in the process of alerting the Interpol to inform Canadian public, said a senior Punjab Police official.
He said the proclamation orders would go a long way in convincing the Interpol about the extradition of the accused.
Three courts in Ludhiana, Jagraon and Fatehgarh Sahib police districts have declared the accused POs in separate cases. The accused have been charged with pocketing lakhs of rupees sent by NRIs to their relatives in Canada through a money transfer company run by the accused in these two countries.
Copies of the court orders on September 5 stated that Judicial Magistrate, Jagraon, Jatinder Walia had declared former Ludhiana NRI Sabha chief Pritam Singh Deol, his son and main accused Rajpreet Singh, alias Raja Deol, and second son Devinder Deol proclaimed offenders in FIR No. 21 lodged with the Sudhar police station on March 15. The copies were made available only now.
The accused were booked under Sections 406 and 420, IPC, on the complaint of Kewal Singh of Dango village. He had charged the accused with cheating him of Rs 3 lakh. His relatives in Canada had sent him the money through the accused but the amount was embezzled.
In the second case, Judicial Magistrate, Ludhiana, K.K. Singla had declared Raja Deol a PO on September 7 in FIR No. 37 lodged with Division No. 8 police station on April 22 under Sections 406 and 420, IPC.
Complainant Bikram Singh, sarpanch of Baddowal village, had charged the accused with siphoning off Rs 2 lakh from some money sent to him by his relatives from Canada.
Similarly, Judicial Magistrate, Amloh, Baljinder Singh on September 17 declared the three accused POs in FIR No. 55 registered on March 14 with the Fatehgarh Sahib police district on the complaint of Ranjit Singh Grewal.
A resident of Dadheri village, the complainant had charged the three with pocketing Rs 12 lakh. His NRI relatives had sent him the money from Canada through the money transfer company of the accused.
The accused have been declared POs under Section 82 of the CrPC. A senior police official said they would initiate proceedings for attachment of property under Section 83 of the CrPC.