Job scam: Akali councillor held

Ruchika M Khanna

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, June 27

Sham Lal Daddi, an Akali councillor from Malout, and one of the main accused in recruitment scam was arrested by Vigilance Bureau sleuths today.

On the run for quite some time, he was arrested from Bathinda today.

Known for his close association with Dyal Singh Kolianwali, a close aide of CM Parkash Singh Badal, Daddi’s exact role in the scam is yet to be brought on record, said sources in the bureau.

He and his aide, Amit Sagar, were involved in introducing prospective candidates for recruitment in the Local Bodies Department and PUNSUP with the kingpin of the scam in Lucknow where the candidates were trained and answer keys were given to them.

The police is now on the look-out for another key accused, Manjit Singh Bittu, an Akali sarpanch from Kothe Chet Singh Wala village in Bathinda.

A senior VB official told TNS that arrest warrants have been issued against Bittu and they were on his trail.

Daddi has been arrested on charges of impersonation and criminal conspiracy. Many of the candidates, who had paid an advance to Daddi, and were arrested by the VB had named him.

He and Bittu are learnt to have taken between Rs 10- 30 lakh from different candidates, for answer keys to the examination papers being set by Panjab University.

Daddi’s interrogation would establish whether he was a conduit for the main kingpin in Lucknow or he was equally involved.

The police will interrogate him on his role, if any, in taking the candidates to Lucknow where they were trained. His role in the alleged leakage of question paper for the patwari exam, conducted in January this year is yet to be probed.