The Vigilance was caught unawares after advocate R S Cheema, defence counsel for Virk, raised the issue that the ‘illegal’ society is still in existence. Reacting to the point, Justice H S Bhalla asked the Punjab law officer as to what action has been taken by the Vigilance against the cooperative society.

The officer maintained in his defence that it was Virk who was guilty of selling the property to all the IAS and IPS officers and not them, who had merely purchased the land.

The Vigilance submitted that the beneficiaries had no role to play in the case. Cheema vehemently raised the issue that the Vigilance had not taken any action against the society, in which, wife of Surinder Pal Singh, SSP, Vigilance, and one of the IOs in the case against Virk, had purchased two plots from one Avinash Singh Grewal. Cheema also asked why no action was taken against the allottees in the society which was illegal.

The Vigilance had alleged that while serving as a government servant in the state of Punjab, Virk had indulged in property dealing, sale and purchase of plots and colonisation. It was alleged by Surinder Pal Singh that Virk had entered into a business deal with one Avinash Singh Grewal for purchase and disposal of about 15 acres of land which Grewal had in Zirakpur, Mohali district. Surprisingly, the sale deeds in possession of Newsline show that two plots were purchased by Surinder Pal Singh’s wife, directly from Grewal.