The Punjab Vigilance Bureau (VB) has arrested a Joint Director of Punjab Labour Department, Narinder Singh for causing a loss of about Rs 700 crore to the state government by ‘illegally’ de-registering SAS Nagar based Philips Lighting India Ltd factory.

The Vigilance Bureau has obtained a five days police remand by presenting the accused, Narinder Singh who was the Joint Director, Factories, Punjab Labour Department, in a SAS Nagar court. A spokesperson of the VB said that nine concerned officers and employees have been arrested so far.

He said that Singh was named as an accused in this case on 31^st March and arrested. During the probe, it was found that on 28 December 2018, the said officer received an application from Director Phillips India company Sukanto Aich, which was addressed to the Labour Commissioner Punjab, Chandigarh. But Narinder Singh himself took action on this application without forwarding it to the addressee in his department (Labour Commissioner Punjab).

The said officer through a letter on 10 January 2019 de-registered the said factory without any investigation or taking the statement of any worker of the said company and without the approval of the Labour Commissioner, Punjab.

“Apart from this, copies of the de-registration letter issued on 25 January 2019, have been shown sent to the concerned offices of industries department, director factories etc. regarding the action taken, but the copies of this letter have not been received at any office,” the spokesperson said.

He said after this, the Labour Inspector, SAS Nagar had submitted a challan under Section 25 (O) of the Industrial Disputes Act on behalf of the Punjab government in the court of Chief Judicial Magistrate, SAS Nagar on 27 February 2019 against Sankuto Aich and Amit Mittal of Phillips India Limited, Phase-9, SAS Nagar.

The spokesperson said if Narinder Singh had not got the factory de-registered, then it could not have been closed and the challan under Section 25 of the Industrial Disputes Act would not have been issued and presented in the court.

“Instead, before issuing this challan, the said officer should have investigated the case properly but he did not do so. Due to this fact, the respondents took advantage of this irregularity and filed a special leave petition against the Punjab government in the Supreme Court on 5 August 2019 and obtained a stay against the said challan issued under Section 25,” the spokesperson said.

He said that during the investigation, it was found that if this official had not deregistered the said factory, the Punjab government would have got revenue of Rs 600 crore to Rs 700 crore.