Street lights scam: Punjab vigilance bureau conducts raids to nab Congress leader Sandhu

The vigilance teams reached Mohali, Chandigarh, Jagraon, Mullanpur Dakha, Muktsar and Jeera to nab Sandhu. The teams questioned Sandhu’s relatives. It is the second such raid.

The vigilance bureau conducted multiple raids on Sunday for the arrest of Captain Sandeep Sandhu, Congress leader Captain Sandeep Sandhu, former political secretary to former chief minister Captain Amarinder Singh, in the alleged ₹65 lakh street lights scam, but could not trace him.

It is a case of misappropriation of ₹65 lakh government grant which was meant for installation of streetlights in 26 villages. (AFP file photo)

The vigilance teams reached Mohali, Chandigarh, Jagraon, Mullanpur Dakha, Muktsar and Jeera to trace Sandhu, but to no avail. The teams questioned his relatives also. It is the second such raid at the premises of Sandhu by the vigilance bureau in the past 15 days. Earlier, the vigilance bureau had conducted a raid at Mohali residence of Sandhu on October 18.

The vigilance bureau had booked senior Congress leader Captain Sandeep Sandhu on October 4 in the alleged ₹65 lakh street lights scam on Tuesday. It is a case of misappropriation of ₹65 lakh government grant which was meant for installation of streetlights in 26 villages of Sidhwan Bet of Dakha sub-division of Ludhiana. Sandhu is currently Congress party’s halqa incharge of Dakha. He had contested assembly election unsuccessfully twice from Dakha constituency on Congress ticket.

A total of six accused have been booked so far in the case, while three accused including - Satwinder Singh Kang, block development and panchayat officer (BDPO), Lakhwinder Singh, block samiti chairman and Teja Singh, village development officer (VDO) have been arrested so far, while Captain Sandeep Sandhu, Gaurav Sharma, owner of Amar Electrical Enterprises and Sandhu’s aide Harpreet Singh are yet to be arrested.

The vigilance bureau officials claimed that the accused had released the payments to the company before installation of the street lights in the village. The vigilance also found that the street lights were purchased at inflated rates than the approved rates.