Punjab Vigilance arrests ex-Dy CM OP Soni in assets case

Chandigarh, July 9

The Punjab Vigilance Bureau on Sunday arrested former Deputy Chief Minister OP Soni for allegedly amassing assets disproportionate to his known sources of income between 2016 and 2022.

After Sadhu Singh Dharamsot and Bharat Bhushan Ashu, Soni is the third former minister of the previous Congress government to be arrested by the Vigilance Bureau. Former ministers Brahm Mohindra, Vijay Inder Singla and ex-CM Charanjit Channi too have been facing similar probes.

Vigilance officials said a case had been registered under the Prevention of Corruption Act against Soni in Amritsar following investigations into an inquiry ordered on October 10, 2022.

Between April 1, 2016, and March 31, 2022, the income of the former Deputy CM and his family stood at Rs 4,52,18,771 while the expenditure was Rs 12,48,42,692, which was Rs 7,96,23,921 (176.08 per cent) more than his known sources of income, Vigilance officials said. “The accused, OP Soni, made properties in the name of his wife Suman and son Raghav,” they said.