Kamal Sharma’s former PA arrested for bribery, graft

He has been accused of accepting lakhs of rupees from at least two persons, one of them accused in a drugs case and another of making arms licences, to get them off the hook with the police.

On Saturday night, Sandhu surrendered at the Ferozepur city police station where he was arrested. He had arrived there with late at night with two BJP leaders, Beopar Mandal president Ashwini Mehta, and Ferozepur municipal council president Ashwini Grover, Sandhu’s is the second arrest in the case. The first to be arrested was Lakhwinder Lakha, also a BJP worker.

The arrest is likely to increase pressure on the embattled Sharma, who has been fending off calls to step down as state unit president ever since the case came to light.

The entire episode has been a severe embarrassment for  the BJP, which had taken up an aggressive campaign against the drug menace in Punjab and blames its ally, the Akali Dal, for not being active enough on the issue.

Sharma has denied he knew anything about Sandhu’s activities, But Sharma’s troubles look set to increase in the coming days.

SHO Ferozepur City Gurdip Singh said Sandhu had named Amarinder Singh Chhina during the interrogation, saying he gave a portion of the money to him.

Police recovered Rs 3 lakh from Sandhu’s house, which he is alleged to have taken to get an Arms Act case against Manoj Khattar, a clerk in the District Commissioner’s office, erased from the books.

Besides Sandhu and Lakha, the August 6 bribery and corruption case also names as accused two more Ferozepur BJP leaders, Jagraj Katora and Ravinder Singh, and DSP Jaswinder Sekhon.

Superintendent of Police (detective) Amarjeet Singh said, “Lakha had already been arrested and sent to Jail, Sandhu is the second arrest.”
Two days before the case was registered, on August 4, Sharma got Sandhu and Katora  to resign from party posts, apprehending the criminal case against them.

Giving details of the money recovered from Sandhu, SP Amarjeet Singh said, “In March, a case was lodged against DC office clerk Manoj Khattar for making bogus arms licenses. Khattar’s brother, Sonu Khattar was also found involved. Investigation had revealed that Rs 15 lakh had been paid by Khattar family to political leaders to get the case settled.”

SHO, Ferozepur city, Gurdip Singh said that out of this Rs 15 lakh, Sandhu had confessed to taking Rs 5 lakh and had given the balance of Rs 10 lakh to another BJP worker whose name is not in the FIR.

Police recovered Rs 3 lakh from Sandhu’s house. He told police that he had spent the remaining 2 lakh.