Punjab Vigilance Bureau verifying graft complaint against former CM Charanjit Singh Channi

Jupinderjit Singh

Chandigarh, December 30

The Punjab Vigilance Bureau (VB) has taken up a corruption complaint against former Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi regarding alleged diversion of funds from the state government’s Daastan-e-Shahadat function to his family function.

Vigilance officials said the bureau’s probe pertained to verifying the complaint and the VB might summon the former Chief Minister also for ascertaining the facts.

They said at this juncture, the probe was at the verification stage and not a regular inquiry. Channi termed the Vigilance action as political vendetta by the Bhagwant Mann-led AAP government.

“Earlier, they tried to arrest me in Mansa when I visited Sidhu Moosewala’s house. They have raked up several other complaints also. This complaint is funny as the said government function happened more than a month after my son’s wedding. The wedding was simple…at a gurdwara. The owner of the marriage palace, where the reception was held, was my family friend who did not charge me any money.”

The complaint made by a Bathinda resident states that Channi — as the CM — organised Daastan-e-Shahadat function in his constituency Chamkaur Sahib on November 19, 2021. The cost of the function was Rs 1.47 crore. It is alleged that inflated bills were raised for the function and public money was siphoned off. The money was allegedly used to pay off bills incurred by Channi on the wedding of his son.