RUDRAPUR: A week after the special investigation team (SIT), probing irregularities to the tune of Rs 300 crore in the NH-74 land acquisition and compensation scam, obtained non-bailable warrants against eight accused farmers, the SIT is all set to issue proclamation notices against them and confiscate their properties.Earlier, the farmers were issued non bailable warrants but they went absconding. Following which, look out circulars were issued against them by the district police.Senior superintendent of police (SSP) of US Nagar, Sadanand Date, who is helming the probe, said, “During investigation it was found that eight farmers, Dilbagh Singh, Ajmer Singh, Gurmej Singh, Sukhdev Singh, Satnam Singh, Sukhwant Singh, Mandeep Singh and Vikram Singh, from Kashipur and Jaspur, were involved in executing the scam and had received compensation from between Rs 8 crore and Rs 35 crore. They were a part of the nexus and their money trails unveiled strong evidence against them.”However, they fled before the SIT could arrest them. He added that suspecting that they might leave the country, look out circulars were also issued. “Police teams also raided potential hideouts in Punjab and Delhi but in vain. Now we are seeking proclamation under Section 82 of the IPC against the accused and we will confiscate their properties.”Meanwhile, the SIT will file charge sheet against 11 accused, including two suspended PCS officers. Date said that the SIT will soon arrest two other suspended PCS officers named in the case and employees of different tehsils, as forensic tests of documents revealed that these officers signed papers to convert agricultural land to commercial land in back dates, with malicious intent.Date added that so far SIT arrested 11 accused for the scam and charge sheet against them will be filed in another ten days. “Dubious role of two other suspended land officers was also confirmed through forensic test reports as their signatures matched with those on the documents,” he added.The scam pertains to land acquisition between 2011 and 2016 for widening of the 300-km Haridwar-Bareilly National Highway (NH-74). It has been alleged that farmland was shown as non-agricultural land to increase compensation amount by up to 20 times to favour of some beneficiaries. Many such cases were reported from Jaspur, Kashipur, Bajpur, Kichha, Gadarpur and Sitarganj towns of US Nagar district.

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