Amid arrests, fear grips opposition leaders in Punjab

A sitting minister Dr Vijay Singla was arrested after he was accused of seeking kick-backs in tender allotment. Later, former minister in previous government Sadhu Singh Dharamsot was also arrested for allegedly taking kick-backs in purchases and tree felling contracts. Another former minister Sangat Singh Gilzian is also named in the same FIR.

The Vigilance Bureau has also initiated a probe against former food and civil supplies minister Bharat Bhushan Ashu. The inquiry has been assigned to Ludhiana Vigilance SSP to look into alleged irregularities to the tune of Rs 2,000 crore in allotment of labour and transport tenders for lifting grains.

This followed a complaint by representatives of small contractors of labour and transport. Fearing arrest, Ashu moved the High Court seeking anticipatory bail and a week long notice period if he has to be arrested. Ashu has denied the allegations.

Another former minister Tripat Rajinder Singh Bajwa is also facing an inquiry ordered by Punjab’s Rural Development and Panchayats Minister Kuldeep Singh Dhaliwal. He alleged that Bajwa had allowed sale of panchayat land at Bhagtupura village on GT Road after the Assembly elections. He said the sale of land was to help a coloniser who had set up a colony on 150 acres but a water channel was creating hindrance. Bajwa allowed the sale at a meagre Rs 43 lakh per acre, whereas the market rate was at Rs 7.5 crore. Bajwa has also denied the allegations.

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Sources in the government said more inquiries in various other scams were also in the offing and in the coming days axe may fall on more leaders if incriminating evidence is found in the inquiries. Several scams that were groomed under the carpet earlier are being revoked into.

“For instance, the government is taking the Rs 1,000 crore irrigation scam also seriously. Let us see what comes out of that,” said a functionary of the government. Already the Enforcement Directorate is also probing the alleged scam. Also, ED is also probing nephew of former CM Charanjit Singh Channi.

Dr Singla was arrested after a sting operation by an engineer of his department, Dharamsot was arrested after a forest officer was arrested after a sting on him for demanding bribe. Dharamsot and Gilzian’s names cropped up during the investigation in the case. “The stings have become scary. Also the diaries of those who get arrested. One never knows when ED or VB will come after him. One holds one’s breath while looking at the newspapers in the morning,” a functionary said on condition of anonymity.

A Congress leader said that it was like a fear psychosis, “I have nothing to fear. But see how ED has ben questioning AICC leader Rahul Gandhi. It is a very fluid situation. One does not feel at ease at all.”