E-Paper
Bribery case: Bathinda Rural MLA under scanner as Punjab vigilance prepares audio transcripts
Trouble for the Aam Aadmi Party legislator from Bathinda Rural Amit Rattan Kotfatta is not over as the complainant claims to possess audio conversations where the MLA was demanding a bribe.
Trouble for the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) legislator from Bathinda Rural Amit Rattan Kotfatta is not over as the complainant claims to possess audio conversations where the MLA was demanding a bribe.
Officials privy to the investigation said transcripts of the conservation recorded secretly provided by the complainant Pritpal Kumar are being prepared by the vigilance bureau (VB) sleuths for clinching evidence.
Kotfatta has termed the charges of demanding bribery as politically motivated.
As per the first information report (FIR) registered under prevention of corruption act by the VB on Thursday, the complainant Pritpal Kumar stated that on February 10, the MLA’s alleged aide Rashim Garg, who was arrested red-handed on Thursday evening, invited him to Kotfatta’s residence in Bathinda where they allegedly demanded a bribe of 20% of the development funds granted for Ghudda village.
“I recorded conservation when the MLA told me to give him a graft of ₹5 lakh for the release of payments pending for the last several months and quick disbursal of funds for new development projects worth ₹25 lakh. Payments were meant to be paid to various firms whose services were used for various development works. But the block development and panchayat officer (BDPO) of Sangat Rajneesh was not releasing funds as he was seeking a bribe. MLA and Garg assured that financial backlog will be cleared after a bribe is paid,” reads the FIR.
In the FIR, serious accusations have been levelled against the MLA but he has not been named as an accused. However, this is an open-ended FIR under which more persons may be nominated during investigation.
Bathinda VB zone deputy superintendent of police (DSP) Kulwant Singh said the role of the MLA in the alleged crime cannot be disclosed at this juncture.
“Investigation is underway and any action will be taken on merit,” said the DSP.
Sources said that mobile phone of Garg will be scrutinised to probe his proximity with the MLA and others and his activity in the Bathinda Rural constituency.
Pritpal’s wife Sunita Rani is a sarpanch of Bathinda’s Ghudda village since 2019.
A few days ago, Pritpal made a representation to the top VB officials in Chandigarh and the complaint was forwarded to the Bathinda zone early this week for further action.
Pritpal said on Friday that he is hopeful the VB will take the case to a logical conclusion.
“Bhagwant Mann government has an approach of zero-tolerance towards corruption. In my complaint to the VB and later in the FIR, I specifically mentioned the conduct of the AAP MLA. I hope that the vigilance will stay objective and more panchayats will come forward to expose the MLA and Garg,” said the complainant.
Garg, a resident of Samana in Patiala who is stated to be an aide of Kotfatta, was arrested red-handed by the vigilance bureau on Thursday evening with bribe money of ₹4 lakh.
The cash containing the denomination of ₹2,000 was marked by VB and it was recovered from Garg’s car from the Bathinda circuit house.The money was alleged to be meant for the MLA the charge the AAP leader has vehemently rubbished.
Garg sent to police custody till Feb 19:
Garg was produced in a local court where he was sent to police custody.
DSP Kulwant Singh said during VB would investigate the allegation that Rashim took a bribe of ₹ 2.50 lakh from a numbardar Gurdas Singh. “Garg’s residence will be searched and we need to recover ₹ 50,000 taken from Pritpal as the first instalment of the alleged bribe,” said the DSP.
