NH-74 scam: Suspended ADM surrenders before SIT

Suspended additional district magistrate (ADM) Tirathpal today surrendered before the SIT in connection with the over Rs 300-crore NH-74 compensation scam in Uttarakhand, a senior police official said.

Tirathpal was the ADM of Udham Singh Nagar district.

The PCS officer, who was absconding ever since his name cropped up in connection with the scam, was arrested soon after he surrendered before the Special Investigation Team (SIT), SSP, Udham Singh Nagar, Sadanand Date said.

He will be produced before a local court after medical check-up, Date said.

Tirathpal is accused of entering into a deal with farmers as the sub-divisional magistrate of Bajpur to help them get compensation many times more than they deserved by changing land use from agricultural to non-agricultural with retrospective effect.

In his interim report on the scam the then Kumaon commissioner D Senthil Pandiyan had recommended action against Tirathpal.

Tirathpal was ADM when he was suspended after the SIT got evidence about his involvement in the scam.

Twenty people, including four PCS officials, have so far been arrested by the SIT in connection with the scam.