JE held for ₹30 lakh job fraud in Sambhal

The Sambhal police arrested a junior engineer (JE) with the Uttar Pradesh Power Corporation Limited (UPPCL), for allegedly defrauding multiple individuals of over ₹30 lakh by promising them jobs in the power department and issuing fake appointment letters.

The accused was apprehended on Sunday by a police team led by inspector-in-charge Harish Kumar, after evading arrest for nearly eight months.

ASP (South) Anukriti Sharma informed that the accused JE, Vijaypal Singh, is involved in multiple fraud cases. According to police, Singh also cheated people by promising electricity connections—both domestic and for tubewells—and took money from them under the false pretence of correcting and submitting electricity bills online.

The matter came to light on August 30, 2024, when Mahavir Yadav, a resident of Leharawan village, filed a complaint alleging that the JE had taken ₹20 lakh from him and his family for securing technician-level jobs (TG-2) for him and his brothers in the power corporation. When the promised jobs did not materialise, Yadav demanded his money back. Singh then convinced the family to buy a piece of his agricultural land, for which they paid an additional ₹10 lakh. However, it was later discovered that the land had already been registered in someone else’s name, exposing a deeper layer of deceit.

“After thorough investigation, it has come to light that the accused used fake appointment letters to carry out job fraud. He has cheated multiple victims not only by promising employment but also by misusing his position for illegal financial gains,” ASP Sharma said.

The police confirmed that four separate FIRs are registered against Vijaypal Singh in various police stations—Bahjoi, Junawai, Rajpura, and Chandausi. Following his arrest, several victims rushed to the Kotwali police station in hopes of recovering their dues. One such victim, Kapil Varshney from Mohalla Purana Dak Khana Road, alleged that Singh took ₹1.5 lakh from him for correcting an inflated electricity bill. Neither was the bill corrected nor was the money returned.

Vijaypal Singh was posted at the Budhanpur power substation in Didauli, Amroha, as a Technician Grade-2. He had been absent from duty during a surprise inspection by executive engineer (XEN) Nikhil Verma in February 2025. Despite being summoned to the office on April 21, Singh failed to appear or provide any explanation. Consequently, he was suspended on April 29.