Khaira seeks Ashu’s sack over Ludhiana CLU scam

JALANDHAR: Providing parts of two inquiry reports in the Ludhiana CLU scam, one of which has also mentioned about interference in the probe by Punjab minister Bharat Bhushan Ashu, Punjab Ekta Party president and Bholath MLA Sukhpal Singh Khaira has written a letter to Punjab chief minister Amarinder Singh, demanding immediate removal of Ashu from the state cabinet and a probe either by a sitting judge of the Punjab and Haryana high court or by the CBI.
Providing copies of the relevant parts of the inquiry reports furnished by Ludhiana ADC Iqbal Singh Sandhu and MC DSP Balbir Singh in a press conference here on Wednesday, Khaira said that both inquiries confirmed that a scam was there but still the construction at the site was on and the company undertaking the project recently also released advertisements to invite investors and buyers.
In his letter to the CM, Khaira has demanded that criminal proceedings should be initiated against the minister, builders of Grand Manor Homes and government officials involved in forgery of documents for illegal construction and blatant corruption in the light of inquiry reports of the DSP, MC and ADC (general) Ludhiana.
He demanded that apart from specific inquiry into the wrongdoings in this project, similar other projects under Ludhiana MC should also be examined as massive corruption had taken place in several real estate projects and this was just the tip of the iceberg. He pointed out that the probe by the DSP was conducted on the orders of local bodies minister Navjot Singh Sidhu on July 9, 2018, on a complaint by RTI activist Kuldeep Singh Khaira on January 16, 2018, for construction of unauthorised flats on a large chunk of agriculture land near Guru Nanak Engineering College, Ludhiana.
Pointing that registration of a criminal case against 16 officials and others was recommended by the DSP, Khaira pointed out that the inquiry officer also mentioned that how there was political interference in the probe and that he was even threatened by the minister, who asked him to withdraw from the probe or face consequences. Inquiry by the ADC also confirmed forgery in the sale deed no. 9941 dated January 19, 2018, and its mutation for getting CLU. He has also mentioned how complainant Kuldeep Singh Khaira was harassed and implicated in a false case.
Taking a dig at Punjab DGP Dinkar Gupta, MLA Sukhpal Khaira said that even as DSP Balwinder Singh sent a complaint to the DGP about threats by minister Ashu, the DGP did not at act on the serious issue. “Such inaction actually lowers the morale of the officers who are doing their duty,” he said.