Punjab Police arrests Director Agriculture Mangal Singh Sandhu on corruption charges

CHANDIGARH: The Bathinda Police last night arrested Director Agriculture Punjab Mangal sINGH sANDHU in a case of corruption related to purchase of spurious pesticides. He was earlier demoted from his psot but he had obtained stay order from the Punjab and Haryana High Court.
It is learnt that Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal had ordered his arrest. The Director Agriculture was accused for purchase of sub-standard pesticides which were supplied to fcotton growers in Malwa belt. The pesticides failed to control the attack of whitefly on cotton crop. The Director had blamed certain senior officers in the CM office for leaking information about the pesticide purchase allegedly done on the orderes of Chief Minister. Sandhu had claimed that he had informed the Agriculture Minister Tota Singh about the deal. Tota Singh faced the opposition onslaught in the Vidhan Sabha and outside. Chief Minister had defended Tota Singh and stated that attack of whitefly was a natural calamity. In stark contradiction, the Government now held Director responsible for the whitefly outbreak.A police party from Bathinda raided the Sector 42 house of Sandhu and search operation was conducted at his home. A case under sections 420 and 185 of IPC and prevention of corruption Act, the essential commodies Act and Khaad control and insecticieds Act has been registered against Sandhu.