Punjab: Realtor asks BJP leader for ₹5-cr to get ‘plum’ political post, held

Police have arrested a Bathinda-based realtor, Harish Garg, for allegedly trying to dupe a woman BJP leader of ₹ 5-crore by claiming to be an “agent” of an unidentified person in the Union home ministry

Police have arrested a Bathinda-based realtor, Harish Garg, for allegedly trying to dupe a woman Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader of ₹ 5-crore by claiming to be an “agent” of an unidentified person in the Union home ministry.

The accused has been booked under Sections 419 , 420 and 511 of the Indian Penal Code. (Representational Photo)

In her complaint with Bathinda’s cantonment police station, Daman Thind Bajwa, BJP state secretary and resident of Sangrur, said that Garg contacted her on June 22 to assure providing an “important office” in the saffron party.

Bathinda senior superintendent of police (SSP), Gulneet Khurana said the accused, a resident of Kotfatta village, claimed that he has been tasked by someone in the Union home ministry to help Bajwa in lieu of ₹5-crore.

“But the complainant did not give any cash to Garg. Our teams are working to trace another accused Saurav Chaudhary, who had also spoken with Bajwa over the phone about cash for a political post. Preliminary investigation has not revealed any other criminal antecedent of Garg but we are probing his role,” said the SSP.

Garg and Chaudhary have been booked under Sections 419 (personation, 420 (cheating) and 511 (attempting to commit offences) of the Indian Penal Code. BJP state vice president Dayal Singh Sodhi denied that accused Garg was associated with the party in any manner.