Former Punjab Minister held on corruption charges, Congress terms it ‘vendetta’

• Image Credit: Internet

• Jun 7, 2022 | Guriya Khatun

Dharamsot was arrested just hours before Congress leader Rahul Gandhi visited Moosewala's home in Mansa to offer condolences to the singer's family.

Digital Desk: Former state minister and Congress leader
Sadhu Singh Dharamsot were arrested by the Punjab Vigilance Bureau over
corruption charges on Tuesday.

Meanwhile,
the Punjab Congress chief, Amrinder Singh Raja Warring, termed the arrest a
"political vendetta" and further asked the Chief Minister of Punjab,
Bhagwant Mann, to let the law take its course and not resort to "kangaroo
court justice".

The previous
Congress government's social welfare and forest ministers were detained in
Amloh. According to sources, a local journalist who was reported to be working
as his aide has also been detained in this case.

Dharamsot was
arrested just hours before Congress leader Rahul Gandhi visited Moosewala's
home in Mansa to offer condolences to the singer's family.

DFO
Guramanpreet Singh and contractor Harminder Singh Hummy had been arrested in a
corruption case just a few days before.

According to
sources, both of them claimed to have provided details of suspected
wrongdoings in the forest department when Dharamsot was the minister.

According to
Punjab Vigilance Bureau Chief Director Varinder Kumar, the former minister was
allegedly involved in corruption during the interrogation of the DFO and the
contractor.

Kumar
alleged that an investigation revealed that Dharamsot was paid Rs 500 for each
tree felled. According to him, the minister received around Rs 1.25 crore in
commission over a period of time.

According to
the chief director, the previous minister used to collect money for transfers
and postings of his department's officials, as
well as for issuing no-objection certificates.

His
assistants are accused of receiving funds on his behalf. According to Kumar, a
complaint has been filed and the former minister has been arrested as a result
of this claim.

He also
added that Kamaljit Singh and Chamkaur Singh, who used to accept money on his
behalf, were arrested and that Dharamsot would be brought before a court and a
police remand sought to further investigate the "scam."

A search
operation is ongoing at Dharamsot's residence, according to the chief director,
and a case has been filed under relevant parts of the Prevention of Corruption
Act.

"Mann
sahib, as expected, you try to divert the real concerns of lawlessness,
unemployment, and interference of (AAP national convener Arvind) Kejriwal and
others in Punjab by arresting Sadhu Singh Dharamsot," Punjab Congress head
Amrinder Singh Raja Warring tweeted.

Notably, in
April, Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann warned of action against Dharamsot.

It may be
mentioned that Dharamsot’s name had figured in the alleged scholarship scam in
2020 following a report by the additional chief secretary at that time during
the Amarinder Singh-led government in Punjab. However, he was exonerated by a
three-member panel of IAS officers.