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CBI sleuths raid Punjab CPS Raj Khurana’s house
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, May 4
Barely a few days after Sohan Singh Thandal, Chief Parliamentary Secretary (CPS) in the SAD-BJP alliance, was convicted and sentenced in a case of disproportionate assets by a Mohali court, the CBI tonight raided the Chandigarh Sector 39 residence of Raj Khurana, a BJP MLA from Rajpura.

The raid on the house of Khurana, who is also a CPS holding the finance portfolio in the SAD-BJP government, started around 9 pm and was continuing till the time of filing this report.

The raid, conducted by a team of 20 to 25 CBI officials, was led by DIG, CBI, Chandigarh, Mahesh Aggarwal. Though there is no official statement so far, but unconfirmed reports suggested that the raid was conducted following a complaint by a person who went to Khurana’s house to pay bribe.

It is also said that this could be related to a lottery scam or a land scam. This reporter saw CBI officials take out documents from the official car of Khurana parked inside his house in the high-security housing complex meant for Punjab Government officials and politicians. The Congress has been extra critical of SAD and BJP leaders for acts of alleged corruption and nepotism. The raid is likely cause serious embarrassment to the ruling alliance in Punjab. Khurana is the third CPS whose actions have put a blot on the image of the SAD-BJP alliance.

Just two days ago, Thandal’s conviction led to the government’s image taking a beating. On an earlier occasion, a former CPS Jagdish Sawhney had levelled charges of corruption against his own party (BJP) colleague and Health Minister Lakshmi Kanta Chawla, putting the government in a tight spot. Apart from being the CPS finance wherein he is closely associated with the running and monitoring of the Finance Department, Khurana is a member of several committees of the Punjab Vidhan Sabha, including the Punjab State Bet Areas Advisory Council.

The role of the council is to define the bet areas of the state, and to aid and advise the government in drawing up schemes and programmes for the development of these areas. A senior CBI official disclosed that the raid was conducted on a specific tip-off and was not a “fishing exercise”. It is also pertinent to mention that Khurana is also closely associated with the Directorate of Lotteries, Punjab, that falls under his department. This department contributes about Rs 170 crore to the state exchequer.

In the past, there have been allegations of corruption in this department, but no major scandal has been reported in the recent past. Khurana also heads the six-member committee constituted by the Punjab Chief Minister to pacify 350 farmers of the Rajpura area agitating against the setting up of an IT and knowledge park on 1,369 acre agricultural land.

The exact motive of the CBI raid would only become known after an official briefing by the CBI official.