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Disproportionate assets case: Punjab vigilance team assess properties of ex-deputy CM Soni in Amritsar
A vigilance bureau team from Chandigarh on Monday visited Amritsar and conducted the assessment of three properties associated with former deputy chief minister of Punjab, OP Soni, in relation to an ongoing probe into the alleged disproportionate assets.
A vigilance bureau team from Chandigarh on Monday visited Amritsar and conducted the assessment of three properties associated with former deputy chief minister of Punjab, OP Soni, in relation to an ongoing probe into the alleged disproportionate assets.
The team visited a hotel, a farmhouse and a godown, said senior superintendent of police (SSP-vigilance), Amritsar-range, Varinder Singh.
Soni had appeared before VB on November 29. A complaint had been filed against Soni accusing him of accumulating huge properties beyond his known sources of income. During his appearance, Soni was given forms by the department for providing the detail of his assets.
“A team from Chandigarh visited Amritsar in relation to the disproportionate assets case. We are conducting assessments of his (OP Soni’s) properties, which has come to the fore so far. If more properties come to the notice, they will also be assessed,” the SSP said.
Earlier, Soni had submitted the documents related to his property and the bank details. “We are also verifying the documents provided by Soni,” the SSP said.
During the 2007 Punjab Assembly elections, Soni had declared his movable assets at ₹1.94 crore, which increased to ₹27.98 crore during the 2022 state elections. During the 2009 Lok Sabha elections, he had declared his assets at ₹3.80 crore.
When Soni was the Health Minister, reports had surfaced about the alleged hand sanitiser scam wherein the product was purchased at thrice the cost. Besides, he could also be questioned about the lease of the Amritsar circuit house.
