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Irrigation scam: Former Punjab minister Sekhon quizzed for eight hours
Janmeja Singh Sekhon was the irrigation minister during SAD-BJP alliance government in Punjab since 2016 till the end of its tenure in 2017, when the Congress government took over and registered a case into the alleged scam
The Punjab vigilance bureau on Friday questioned former minister Janmeja Singh Sekhon for his alleged role in an irrigation scam that was unearthed in 2017.
He was questioned from 9.30am till 6pm at the vigilance headquarters in Mohali and will be called again, said an official privy to the case.
Sekhon was the irrigation minister during SAD-BJP alliance government in Punjab since 2016 till the end of its tenure in 2017, when the Congress government took over and registered a case into the alleged scam. According to a vigilance officer, a contractor, Gurinder Singh, and two former IAS officers have also been questioned.
During the investigation into the scam, it had come to the fore that Sekhon received kickbacks to the tune of ₹4 crore for allotting tenders of works related to irrigation projects in the state during his tenure as the minister.
“While he (Sekhon) denied meeting Gurinder frequently, the minister told the investigators that officers of his department used to get papers related to some controversial decisions signed from him,” said Manmohan Kumar, who is a member of the probe team. “Sekhon answered some questions, but refused to comment on many,” he added.
In a pro forma given to Sekhon during quizzing on his earnings and properties bought during recent times, the minister admitted that he had bought a house in Chandigarh’s Sector 7 in the name of his son, Kumar said.
