The court of the Additional District Judge, Chandigarh, has dismissed an appeal filed by Punjab Agri Export Corporation Limited against a seven-year-old verdict of the Civil Judge (Senior Division), Chandigarh. The corporation had sought to recover funds allegedly misappropriated by former IAS officer Mr. RS Sandhu.
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The court ruled that “a suit cannot be decreed merely on the basis of a report given by an investigating agency.” The corporation alleged that Mr. Sandhu, as president of the Council for Citrus and Agri Juicing, misused public funds for personal benefit, citing a Special Investigation Team (SIT) report dated May 28, 2012. However, the Civil Judge had earlier dismissed the suit on October 17, 2018, along with costs.
A Ludhiana-based NGO had initially filed a complaint in 2010, alleging large-scale misappropriation of funds in the council, prompting the government to assign an SIT inquiry. The SIT report claimed that Mr. Sandhu, in his role as council president, facilitated citrus plantation on his land in Chak Sadhu village, Hoshiarpur, with an investment of Rs. 22,45,000, without any formal agreement.
Mr. Sandhu’s counsel, Mr. Dheeraj Kumar Sehgal, denied the allegations, arguing that the case was based on an unsigned and incomplete inquiry report. He also pointed out that the report itself acknowledged that Mr. Sandhu had not personally benefited but was responsible for oversight as council president.
The defendant, who retired as Financial Commissioner (Development), Punjab, in 2008, had held the council presidency for only 14 months. He also contested the SIT report’s claim about land ownership, stating that he owned only 10 acres, not the alleged 69.7 acres.
After reviewing the arguments, the Additional District Judge upheld the trial court’s decision, ruling that the corporation failed to substantiate its claim or justify the amount sought. The court reiterated that a case cannot be decided solely based on an investigative report without solid legal evidence.
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