Contractor Harmohinder Singh Hummy's diary does Sadhu Singh Dharamsot in

Tribune News Service

Rajmeet Singh

Chandigarh, June 7

Facing allegations of graft and other irregularities during his tenure as Forest and Social Welfare Minister in the previous Capt Amarinder Singh-led government, Sadhu Singh Dharamsot enjoyed political patronage owing to his proximity to the former CM and his MP-wife Preneet Kaur.

Hummy connection

• Arrested DFO Guramanpreet Singh and contractor Harmohinder Singh, alias Hummy, revealed how bribe was collected and shared with former minister
• VB sleuths have come across a diary, maintained by contractor Hummy, listing details of payments made to various persons from 2017 onwards

The two conduits

• Chamkaur Singh, ex-Forest Ranger, and Kamaljit Singh, a former scribe, were the ex-minister’s main conduits
• They liaised for him for undue ‘favours’ in the Forest Department and also played a key role in running the affairs of the Social Welfare Department
• In SC scholarship scam, the two along with 4 other officials allegedly extended undue benefits to certain private institutes in violation of the rules

Though dropped from the Charanjit Channi-led government over allegations of misappropriation of SC post-matric scholarship, the five-time MLA from Nabha continued to be shielded by the party till the Assembly poll.

Things would have remained under the carpet, but for the arrest of Mohali Divisional Forest Officer (DFO) Guramanpreet Singh and contractor Harmohinder Singh, alias Hummy, who spilled the beans about how bribe was collected and allegedly shared with the former minister and forest officials.

VB sleuths have come across a diary, mentioning details of payments made to various persons from 2017 onwards. The diary was being maintained by contractor Hummy.

Ever since Dharamsot assumed charge of the Forest portfolio, Chamkaur Singh, a former Forest Ranger-cum-OSD, and Kamaljit Singh, a former scribe of a vernacular daily, became his two main conduits.

Not only did the two liaise to extend undue favours in cases related to the Forest Department, but also played a pivotal role in running the affairs of the Social Welfare Department.

In the SC post-matric scholarship scam unearthed during the Capt Amarinder government, the two along with four officials had allegedly played a key role in extending financial benefits to private educational institutes in violation of rules.

Though Capt Amarinder gave a clean chit to Dharamsot, the graft charges against the former minister continued to haunt him as the Opposition kept targeting him.

A former Additional Chief Secretary in the Social Welfare Department had questioned the role of Dharamsot in the disbursal of scholarship funds. A certain amount of commission was sought from private educational institutes that were given the scholarship funds in violation of the rules.

Former Forest Minister Sangat Singh Gilzian, accused of pocketing Rs 6.4 crore via commission for installing tree guards (iron mesh), remained minister for just three months in the Channi government.

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