Chandigarh, July 29
Former Punjab Public Works Minister Sucha Singh Langah has allegedly confessed during investigation by the Vigilance Bureau that he received money from officers of the department for transfers, postings and promotions to their desired places. He also allegedly got money from contractors for allotment of contracts. This was disclosed here today by a bureau spokesman in a press statement released by the Punjab Public Relations Department.
He has allegedly amassed huge assets to the tune of Rs 32 crore which are disproportionate to his known sources of income. Before becoming minister, he had no property in his name. He is a bad character (BC-A) of the police station Sadar Gurdaspur. He has no PAN No. and has never disclosed his assets to the Income Tax Department, said the spokesman.
Langah has also allegedly confessed that he had illicit relations with some women and helped them financially, according to the spokesman.
The spokesman denied that during the investigation Langah was tortured and humiliated and added that the Vigilance Bureau took him to the hospital on his request for treatment. After treatment, the VB team left the hospital. He said the Akalis were raising this issue only to divert the attention of the the bureau and to derail the investigations.
The spokesman further said that Langah had confessed that he had illicit relations with a certain woman from Nawanshahr district and he had bought a house in Chandigarh and a plot on the Saloh road (Nawanshahr) in her name. He also confessed that he helped her get a foreign visa to fly to Canada so that she may not get involved in the cases registered against him. Langah also disclosed that he had a “warm relationship” with a woman from
Batala and revealed some more names of women with whom he was closely associated and lived with them, said the bureau spokesman.
He further disclosed that Langah had got an illegal passport in 1998 after becoming Public Works Minister and travelled overseas. He met Wassan Singh Zaffarwal, a terrorist, in Switzerland in December, 2000, and allegedly hatched a plan for his surrender. Under this plan, Langah and his confidants, received Zaffarwal in March, 2001, at the Amritsar airport and harboured him in Gurdaspur, Chandigarh and Manali. Langah’s overseas travelling throws a light on his alleged links with international terrorists, which is to be probed, said the spokesman.
The spokesman added that during the investigations, Langah also allegedly confessed that he had got allotted a contract for the Morinda bypass to Pearl Company for Rs 43 crore in which a
brother-in-law of Mr Sukhbir Singh Badal is a shareholder.
He has also confessed to have allotted a contract for the Rahon bypass for Rs 33 crore. In this case, the deprived construction company has filed a writ in the high court. He allotted the construction work of the Noormahal-Nakodar road but even before the opening of the tenders, the contractor concerned had already constructed the road.
Langah also disclosed that he received bribes for promotions, postings and transfers, from JEs to Chief Engineers, ranging from Rs 1 lakh to Rs 25 lakh to their desired stations. He also disclosed the names of Public Works officers, contractors and touts, who collected and received money on his behalf. Among them are Ashok Kataria (Mohali), Sher Singh, alias Shera, Gurinderpal Singh and Tinku, Amrik Singh Mohali, Gurcharan Singh, alias Channi (JAL), Pardeep Bhateja (Ludhiana), Vinod Kumar Garg, Kamaljit Singh and Neetu, Subhash Chand Jain, Sampuran Singh, Subhash Chand, son of Kishan Chand, Gurbachan Pal Singh, alias Vicky (PA), Jasvir Singh, Vikramjit Singh, alias Vicky (PA), Nimardeep Singh and Gagandeep Singh, SDOs.
The bureau has also released a long list of his properties and and details of bank accounts, transactions and lockers. It lists his moveable and immovable properties, their approximate values, and names of sellers and buyers. The list also gives details of the shops and plots allegedly owned by Langah in different districts and in Chandigarh along with their value. The bureau has also given details of some benami
properties held by him besides private vehicles owned by him which include a Safari, an Ambassador, a Bolero and a Lancer. He also allegedly owns a petrol stations, godowns and buses, according to the press note.
