Embroiled in the alleged charges of major embezzlement and misappropriation of funds running into crores of rupees, the Society had only last week cleared the dues of Punjab Urban Planning and Development Authority (PUDA), which had earlier resumed the site for non-payment of dues.

Turning a blind eye to the gross irregularities and discrepancies alleged in the accounts and working of the Society ever since it was registered in 1987, the department had on August 20 got an FIR registered against the Society’s president and honorary secretary on the charges of house-trespass, cheating and criminal conspiracy under Sections 448, 420 and 120-B of the IPC. In a complaint to Mohali SSP, the Inspector, Cooperative Societies, Mohali, had accused the Society president and honorary secretary of “conspiring with certain members to take forcible possession of certain flats in contravention of the Punjab and Haryana High Court order staying any further possession and allotment of flats in the Society”.

However, on August 23, Assistant Registrar, Cooperative Societies, Mohali, wrote to SSP that after lodging the complaint, Inspector had visited the Society to find “certain flats under forcible possession but no documentary evidence to establish the involvement of Society president Lovleen Bhupinder Kaur and honorary secretary Kuldeep Singh Virk in facilitating illegal possession was found”. “Instead of acting against any office-bearer of Society, action shall be initiated against those members who had illegally possessed the flats,” recommended Assistant Registrar.

Seeking immediate cancellation of the FIR, Virk today submitted to the SSP Gurpreet Singh Bhullar that from the report of Assistant Registrar, it was evident that a false and frivolous FIR was registered against him and his wife with an aim to stall the democratic functioning of the Society.

Accusing the previous managing committee of “embezzling crores of rupees by inducting more members than the number of approved flats”, Virk said ever since they took over the reigns of the Society two years back, two annual general body meetings of the Society called by them had been stayed by the department at the eleventh hour. “We want to work in a democratic manner but certain department officials on the behest of certain members are creating unnecessary obstacles for the reasons best known to them,” alleged he, while demanding permission to hold annual general meeting, which was mandatory to be held once every year but was not permitted for the past two years, and special audit of the Society accounts ever since it was registered.

“ Instead of acting against those who committed embezzlement and fraud, the department is harassing us,” Virk further said.

Also refuting the charges of embezzlement as “totally false and baseless”, former president Swaran Singh has also demanded complete audit of Society accounts to establish any irregularity. Despite repeated attempts, Registrar, Cooperative Societies, Dr G Vajralingam remained inaccessible.