DA case: Vigilance bureau apprehends excise officer Virdi’s aide

Bhagwant Bhushan, alias Bawa, of Krishna Nagar, Jalandhar Railway Road, has been involved in a case of disproportionate assets registered against Balbir Kumar Virdi, joint director (GST), excise department, Jalandhar, a resident of Lamba Pind village in Jalandhar

The Punjab vigilance bureau (VB) arrested an aide of a Jalandhar excise department joint director in a disproportionate assets case on Wednesday.

A VB spokesperson said an investigation has revealed that during the check period from Apri 1, 2007 to September 11, 2020, Virdi declared an income of ₹2.08 crore, but spent ₹5.12 crore during the same period.

Bhagwant Bhushan, alias Bawa, of Krishna Nagar, Jalandhar Railway Road, has been involved in a case of disproportionate assets registered against Balbir Kumar Virdi, joint director (GST), excise department, Jalandhar, a resident of Lamba Pind village in Jalandhar. The case had been filed against Virdi for amassing assets beyond his known sources of income while serving as a government official.

Disclosing this here, a VB spokesperson said an investigation has revealed that during the check period from Apri 1, 2007 to September 11, 2020, Virdi declared an income of ₹2.08 crore, but spent ₹5.12 crore during the same period. This discrepancy shows an excess expenditure of ₹3.03 crore, which is 145.40% more than his known sources of income. Consequently, the VB registered a corruption case against him under sections 13(1)(b) and 13(2) of the Prevention of Corruption Act for misusing his position and accumulating assets significantly surpassing his lawful income.

Furthermore, the investigation uncovered Bawa’s role as a special partner in establishing ‘Jagdambey Lifestyle’ firm in Ludhiana, along with ‘Clean and Cool’, firm in Ludhiana owned by his wife, Kavita, and Virdi’s spouse Surinder Kaur.

Bawa has been nominated in the process of laundering the alleged black money amounting to crores on behalf of Virdi through these bogus firms.