Punjab: ED summons 7 forest officers in cash-for-transfer scam

Rajmeet Singh

Chandigarh, January 4

In a cash-for-transfer scam, the Enforcement Directorate has summoned seven Divisional Forest Officers.

Money paid through aides of ex-minister

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During the Punjab Vigilance Bureau probe, it had been pointed out that a bribe of Rs 10 lakh to Rs 20 lakh was paid for the transfer of a DFO, Rs 5 lakh to Rs 8 lakh for a forest ranger, Rs 5 lakh for a block officer and Rs 2 lakh to Rs 3 lakh for the forest guard through close aides of a former minister

Former Forest Minister Sadhu Singh Dharamsot has already been quizzed at the Jalandhar office of the ED in this regard.

A senior government functionary said the department had not been intimated about the summons as the ED had sought the record of the Vigilance Bureau investigations through the court. At least, two IFS officers and other senior officers of the department had earlier been summoned by the directorate.

The ED had urged the court to issue directions to the Vigilance to provide certified copies of the challan/chargesheet and other documents so as to initiate a probe under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, 2002. The Vigilance had handed over the records, including a copy of the two FIRs related to the forest scam, chargesheets, evidence, information related to the accounts of the accused and other relevant records, to the ED in the court.

On the basis of the evidence, the forest officials have been summoned by the court. The officials were being questioned on the bribe money paid for transfer during the previous Congress government. During the Punjab Vigilance Bureau probe, it had been pointed out that a bribe of Rs 10 lakh to Rs 20 lakh was paid for the transfer of a DFO, Rs 5 lakh to Rs 8 lakh for a forest ranger, Rs 5 lakh for a block officer and Rs 2 lakh to Rs 3 lakh for the forest guard through close aides of the former minister.