Capt Amarinder Singh's ex-OSD Capt Sandeep Sandhu booked in streetlights scam

Nikhil Bhardwaj

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Ludhiana, October 4

The Vigilance Bureau (VB), Ludhiana, on Tuesday booked Capt Sandeep Sandhu, Congress leader and OSD to former Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh, in the ongoing probe into the Rs 65 lakh Sidhwan Bet streetlights scam.

The VB claimed that Sandhu had influenced the deal by buying streetlights at more than double the rate and he allegedly received financial benefit to the tune of several lakhs of rupees.

After registering a case, the Vigilance Bureau has started tracking the whereabouts of Sandhu to arrest him. A Vigilance official privy to the development confirmed to The Tribune that information regarding the nomination of Sandhu in the streetlights scam case was also given to the Ludhiana court on Tuesday. Vigilance officials claimed that the probe also hinted that the streetlights bought were of poor quality. Also, the streetlights installed were less than the number shown in the record.

The VB has also started physical verification of 26 villages in this regard.

On September 27, Vigilance Bureau had arrested Satwinder Singh Kang, BDPO, Sidhwan Bet block, Ludhiana district, and Lakhwinder Singh, Chairman, Block Samiti, Sidhwan Bet, for misappropriating government funds to the tune of Rs 65 lakh for purchasing streetlights at the double the cost than the approved rate. A few days later, Teja Singh, Village Development Officer, Sidhwan Bet, was also arrested. Later, Sandeep Sandhu’s kin Harpreet Singh was also arrested by VB for his role in the scam.

The anticipatory bail application of Gaurav Sharma, proprietor of M/s Amar Electrical Enterprises, Nabha, and a contractor of streetlights, was today dismissed by the Ludhiana court.