Tota Singh acquitted in PSEB recruitment case

Tribune News Service

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Mohali, August 1

In a relief to former Education Minister Tota Singh, a local court on Wednesday acquitted him in a 17-year-old case relating to PSEB recruitment scam.

The court, however, awarded three-year sentence to other four accused — Paviterpal Kaur, the then Deputy Director, PSEB; Jora Singh, former member of the board’s recruitment committee; Amar Singh, former private secretary of vice-chairman; and Jagjit Singh Sidhu, former secretary. The court has also slapped a fine of Rs 10,000 each on them. The sixth accused in the case, Tirath Singh, former secretary of the board, died during the trial.

Senior Akali leader Tota Singh was charged under Section 120 B of the IPC. According to his counsel Satnam Singh Kler, the former minister had no role in recruitment of 134 clerks and 60 assistants even as he was the Education Minister at that time.

Tota Singh said: “Finally, I got justice. I was falsely implicated. The board is an autonomous body and I had no role in its appointments. Neither had I appointed the board chairman, nor formed the selection committee.”

After his acquittal, the former minister furnished a personal bond of Rs 1 lakh in the court. The convicts were also released on bail after furnishing a personal bond of Rs 1 lakh each.