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AIT ex-chief’s arrest: VB probe points to multicrore scam
Congress leader Dinesh Bassi was arrested by the Punjab Vigilance Bureau last week for alleged irregularities during his tenure as the Amritsar Improvement Trust chairman
Congress leader Dinesh Bassi, who was arrested by the Punjab Vigilance Bureau (VB) last Wednesday for alleged irregularities during his tenure as the Amritsar Improvement Trust (AIT) chairman, had misused his post to benefit a number of firms and individuals known to him, the probe has found so far.
After his four-day police remand ended on Monday, Bassi was again produced in a local court, which extended his custody by two days for further interrogation. Bassi had earlier denied any wrongdoing while alleging political vendetta behind his arrest.
Bassi remained the Trust chairman for two years, from 2019 to 2021. According to the complaint filed by the AIT, he had allotted a 200-square-yard plot in Amritsar’s posh Ranjit Avenue locality to one Sohan Singh for just ₹2.82 lakh even as its market value is around ₹1.40 crore.
An official spokesperson of the VB said on Monday that the investigations have revealed several irregularities in the allotment of development works worth ₹300-400 crore during Bassi’s tenure as well. At least half a dozen firms are under the scanner in this suspected multicrore scam, the spokesperson said.
The spokesperson further alleged that Bassi had illegally allotted various commercial and residential plots, including Verka milk booths, to his close associates and relatives in posh areas, and files pertaining to some of these plots were found missing from the sales branch of the Trust office. Bassi had allegedly enlisted around 37 firms that were further allotted contracts worth crores in violation of departmental rules, said the spokesperson, adding that further probe was on.
