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DIG’s graft arrest: Why was Punjab govt unable to detect corruption, questions guv
The Punjab governor said the arrest of DIG Bhullar and subsequent recovery of ₹7.5-crore cash from his premises called for introspection into the functioning of the state that failed to detect misconduct at a senior level
Taking a dig at the AAP-led Punjab government over the arrest of DIG HS Bhullar in a bribery case amid its ongoing anti-corruption drive, Punjab governor Gulab Chand Kataria on Friday said it was “unfortunate” that despite having an elaborate administrative set-up, the government was unable to detect the corruption.
He further said the arrest of DIG Bhullar and subsequent recovery of ₹7.5-crore cash from his premises called for introspection into the functioning of the state that failed to detect misconduct at a senior level.
When asked about the CBI’s arrest of the officer despite the Punjab government’s ongoing anti-corruption campaign, Kataria remarked, “It is easy to talk about it, but implementing it on the ground is difficult. Efforts should be made to make it as successful as possible.”
“Someone (CBI) made the effort and made such a big revelation. It has forced us to think that all this was happening in front of our eyes. Therefore, we too are at fault somewhere,” he said.
Commenting on Bhullar’s arrest, Kataria said, “Upon reading about it (in the media), it appears that if such a large amount had been recovered at this stage, we must question what has been happening and why we failed to notice it for so long. But when we have such a large administrative set-up in place, the inability to detect this corruption reflects a deeply unfortunate situation.”
The governor added that the true picture would only emerge after the investigation concluded.
DIG’s arrest tight slap on AAP govt’s face: Warring
Punjab Congress president Amarinder Singh Raja Warring hit out at the state government, stating that the arrest of a Punjab Police DIG by the CBI and the recovery of a huge amount of cash from his residence was a tight slap on the face of AAP’s claims of providing a corruption-free government.
“This incident reflects poorly on the AAP government,” he said in a statement, questioning how it was possible for an officer to amass such wealth without anyone having a whiff about it.
He said the DIG’s arrest and subsequent revelations were just the tip of the iceberg. Warring further claimed that the AAP government had proved to be a complete failure in every aspect – be it the state’s economy, law and order or the fight against drugs.
SAD seeks probe into money trail
The Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) demanded a probe into the money trail to find out “on whose behalf DIG Harcharan Singh Bhullar was collecting ill-gotten wealth and to whom its proceedings were being transferred”.
Addressing a press conference in Chandigarh, SAD leader Parambans Singh Romana said, “Punjabis have the right to know where the money being looted from the people of the state is going. Is it being used to contest elections in other states or going directly into the hands of AAP supremo Arvind Kejriwal.”
He alleged that the very fact that chief minister Bhagwant Mann and the AAP were silent on this issue indicated that they had a lot to hide. “The CBI probe must concentrate on this aspect to uncover the entire corruption modus operandi of the ‘Kattar Imandaar Party’,” he quipped.
Asserting that the real face of AAP had been exposed post the CBI raid on the DIG and his subsequent arrest, Romana said, “it is now clear that a government which claims it has zero tolerance towards corruption is not only tolerating corruption but also promoting and facilitating it.”
Romana also questioned why the Vigilance and Intelligence wings of the state government had failed to detect the corrupt activities of DIG, and not taken any action against him till now.
