PPSC ex-Chairman Sidhu guilty in job scam

Aman Sood

Tribune News Service

Patiala, April 6

The court of Additional District and Sessions Judge Pushpinder Singh today held former Punjab Public Service Commission (PPSC) Chairman Ravi Sidhu and three others guilty in the infamous cash-for-jobs scam.

The court is expected to pronounce the quantum of sentence tomorrow.

The case was unearthed by the Vigilance Bureau in 2002. While Sidhu, then PPSC Secretary Pritpal Singh, PS Sodhi and Paramjit Singh Pammi were held guilty, Jaspal Singh and Gurpal Singh have been acquitted.

Two more accused, Prof Jagdish Kalra and Amarjit Kang, had died during the course of trial.

Sidhu’s brother Reetinder Singh, wife Ajinder Kaur and mother Pritpal Kaur were declared proclaimed offenders. Jagman Singh, Randhir Singh Dheera and Prem Sagar had joined the investigations and turned government approvers against the accused.

The case (FIR number 24/2) was registered at the Vigilance police station in Patiala under Sections 420, 467, 468, 471-A, 409 and 120-B of the IPC and Sections 7 and 13(1)(d)(i) of the Prevention of Corruption Act.

The first case was registered against Sidhu on March 25, 2002, after he was nabbed red-handed accepting a bribe of Rs5 lakh from Bhupjit Singh, Excise and Taxation Inspector. He was also booked for possessing assets disproportionate to his known sources of income.

As the recruitment scam assumed bigger proportions and a large number of appointments recommended by the commission appeared tainted, the Vigilance Bureau decided to register a separate case in Patiala.

The bureau had then released a list of 32 appointees, who had allegedly got jobs, either by bribing the PPSC Chairman through his agents or through their contacts”. Dheera and Prem Sagar had made these revelations during their interrogation.

Of the 32 appointees, identity of three could not be established. Of the rest, eight were selected in the Punjab Civil Services (Judicial) wing, while the remaining 21 were in the Punjab Civil Services (Executive) branch.