E-Paper
Graft: Amritsar Improvement Trust ex-chief sent to 4-day police custody
According to the complaint, Bassi 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 ₹1.4 crore
Congress leader Dinesh Bassi, who was arrested by the Punjab Vigilance Bureau (VB) on Wednesday for alleged irregularities during his tenure as the Amritsar Improvement Trust (AIT) chairman, was produced in a local court on Thursday and sent to four-day police custody for further interrogation.
Bassi denied any wrongdoing and alleged political vendetta while coming out of court. The two-accused, Raghav Sharma and Vikas Khanna, are yet to be arrested.
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.
VB officials, privy to the case, said Bassi and his accomplices had also misappropriated the original documents pertaining to the property. Bassi is also accused of allegedly allotting many booths to his two accomplices Sharma and Khanna besides several contracts to their firms Punjab Builders and Gul Associates. The three have been booked under Sections 409 (criminal breach of trust by public servant) and 120B (criminal conspiracy) of the Indian Penal Code besides under the Prevention of Corruption Act.
Other allotments under scanner too
“During Bassi’s remand, we will also investigate the allegations against him about the allotment of various works worth crores during his tenure as the AIT chief,” said senior superintendent of police, vigilance, Amritsar, Varinder Singh Sandhu.
Sources said the allotment of various development works, including laying of interlocking tiles at ward number 22 and lifting of garbage from the sports complex at Ranjit Avenue, are also under scanner. On Thursday, the Amritsar vigilance team questioned the staff members of the Trust for several hours.
Bassi, while leaving the court, told media persons: “Whatever is going on in Punjab is happening to me as well, for I am a Congress worker who is standing by his party.” Denying any scam, he said he had sent a resolution to the government for the allotment of the property in question.
