Former Punjab minister Sadhu Singh Dharamsot arrested in graft case
Chandigarh, June 7
The Vigilance Bureau has arrested former Punjab minister Sadhu Singh Dharamsot under the Prevention of Corruption Act.
Official sources said he was arrested from Amloh in connection with the recent arrest of DFO Guramanpreet Singh in a corruption case.
The arrested DFO and contractor Harminder Singh Hummy reportedly gave details to the bureau indicating wrongdoings in the forest department after which Dharamsot was arrested.
Sources said the former minister had links with the arrested forest officials.
He has been accused of being involved in illegal felling of over 25,000 trees.
Kamaljit Singh, a Khanna-based reporter of a Punjabi daily, has also been arrested in the case.
The Mohali wing of the state vigilance took away the former minister, who is said to have been booked under various sections of the Prevention of Corruption Act and Section 120-B (conspiracy) of the IPC.
More sections would be added after he is questioned, said a VB official.
Former forest minister Sangat Singh Gilzian, who remained minister for three months, has also been named in the FIR.
Six others have also been named in the FIR registered under various sections of the Prevention of Corruption Act. The name of DFO Amit Chauhan also figures in the FIR.
Sources say CM Bhagwant Mann has given the nod to arrest all the accused.
Mann sahib, as expected, you want to deflect main issues of lawlessness, unemployment and interference of kejriwal & others in punjab by arresting S. Sadhu s Dharamsot. Let law take its own course Pl do not make it Kangaroo Court justice. Political vendetta shall boomerang.
— Amarinder Singh Raja Warring (@RajaBrar_INC) June 7, 2022
Dharamsot has been accused of making more than Rs 100 crore through commissions in felling of trees and allowing other works related to the forest department, say senior vigilance officials.
“He had his cut in every work/project done by the forest department. According to information, he was taking Rs 1 crore commission from one contractor. There are more than 100 contractors engaged in forest works,” said the officials.
Ex-minister Sangat Singh Gilzian has been accused of pocketing at least Rs 6.4 crore via commission for installing tree guards. He was allegedly getting Rs 800 for each tree guard and at least 80,000 tree guards were installed during Gilzian’s tenure as forest minister.
