Punjab Newsline | Chandigarh
A Chandigarh district court on Wednesday sent four accused, arrested for allegedly taking ₹661-crore government fund scam accused Vikram Singh Wadhwa to a hotel instead of a hospital, to judicial custody.
The arrested persons include Chandigarh Police SI Jagmer Singh, ASI Suresh Kumar, and Wadhwa’s two sons, Karan and Kunal. Wadhwa himself had already been shifted to Burail Jail on Tuesday.
Accused Taken to Hotel Instead of Hospital
The case came to light on Tuesday when Wadhwa, who had complained of a stomach infection in jail, was granted permission to be taken to Government Hospital, Sector 16 for treatment.
According to police, he was escorted out of Burail Jail under official police protection, but instead of being taken to the hospital, the police team allegedly drove him to Hotel City Heart in Sector 22.
Investigators allege that Wadhwa met his wife and sons, Karan and Kunal, ate food, and remained at the hotel for a considerable period. Senior Chandigarh Police officers received information about the incident and conducted a raid at the hotel, after which all five were detained.
Following questioning, a case was registered at Sector 17 Police Station under provisions of the Prevention of Corruption Act and the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), including Sections 7 of the PCA and Sections 199, 261, 262, 62, and 61(2) of the BNS.
Police are now investigating whether the decision to take Wadhwa to the hotel instead of the hospital was pre-planned.
Officials are examining CCTV footage from the hotel, entry registers, mobile phone locations, call detail records and the identities of people Wadhwa may have met during his stay.
DSP SPS Sondhi said that the duty records, movement details, and communications of the two arrested police personnel with their senior officers are also being scrutinised. If violations of official procedure are confirmed, both departmental and legal action will be taken.
Vikram Singh Wadhwa is one of the key accused in the ₹661-crore government fund embezzlement case, which involves alleged fraudulent transfers of public money from Haryana government departments, the Chandigarh Municipal Corporation, and the Chandigarh Smart City (CREST) project into private firms.
Investigators claim that Wadhwa, along with co-accused Ribhav Rishi, Abhay Kumar, bank employees, and government officials, used shell companies such as Swastik Desh Projects and Capco Fintech Services to layer and divert funds.
The money was allegedly routed through jewellers in exchange for cash, which was later distributed among officials and businessmen involved in the conspiracy.
Police have identified properties worth nearly ₹70 crore allegedly linked to Wadhwa, including premium residential and commercial real estate investments.
