Punjab government suspends Mangal Singh Sandhu, Police obtains three days remand

CHANDIGARH/BATHINDA: Mangal Singh Sandhu Director Agriculture Punjab was today placed under suspension by Punjab Government immediately after his arrest by Bathinda Police in alleged Pesticide scam. The Bathinda police today produced Sandhu in the court and obtained three days custody. Sandhu was arrested late last night from Chandigarh and taken to Bathinda where a case under sections 420, 168 of IPC and Prevention of Corruption Act has been registered. The police claimed that a person arrested earlier had named Sandhu during investigation and accused has paid Rs.8 lakhs to Sandhu to get permission to sell spurioous pesticides. The police during search at Sandhu’s residence claimed to have seized 53 bottles of foreign liquor, 1200 Canadian dollars and 3000 US dollars.
It is learnt that Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal had ordered the police to arrest Sandhu. who had contested the orders of state government to demote him and secured stay order from the Punjab and Haryana High Court. Sandhu was demoted to post of Joint Director and a probe was ordered against him by the Chief Minister. Sandhu however approached the High Court against government orders. Sandhu had also blamed the Agriculture Minister Tota Singh and certain senior officials in the CM office for the pesticide scam.