2017 Irrigation Scam Vigilance to question ex-chief secy Kaushal, Akali ex-minister Sharanjit Singh today

The names of two former ministers, including Dhillon and Janmeja Singh Sekhon and Dhillon, and three retired IAS officers, including Sidhu, Kaushal and former secretary KS Pannu, were mentioned in the disclosure report of the main accused Gurinder Singh in the alleged scam.

Earlier, while seeking relief for Sidhu, his counsel had argued that though Gurinder Singh, in his confessional statement while in custody, had claimed that he had paid bribes in crores to former ministers and the three IAS officers for getting undue benefits, during the investigation, his client was neither summoned nor was nominated as an accused at any point in time.

While the case was registered during former chief minister Capt Amarinder Singh’s tenure, no action followed was taken against the former ministers and the IAS officers — who were in the service at the time — although the file kept moving between CM’s office and Vigilance Bureau.

Months after taking over the reins of the state, Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann cleared the file and asked the VB to investigate the role of the former ministers and former bureaucrats under Section 17A of the Prevention of Corruption (Amendment) Act.

The five have been accused of taking bribes from contractor Gurinder Singh and allotting him work worth Rs 1,200 crore in the irrigation department. The work was allotted during SAD-BJP government, led by Parkash singh Badal, from 2012 to 2017.

A week after clearing the file, the AAP government in September issued a lookout circular against all five to preempt any attempt to leave the country. However, Sidhu was already abroad at the time.