One more SAD leader arrested in Punjab Job scam, key suspect still at large

CHANDIGARH : In the ongoing Vigilance Bureau probe into the multi-crore jobs for cash scam in Punjab Government jobs, another main accused Sham Lal Duddy, a SAD councillor of Malout has been arrested from Ghumar Hatti in Himachal Pradesh where he was hiding in a flat. The name of a senior Jathedar of SAD Dyal Singh Kolianwali, a close to ruling Badal family has also figured in the job scam.
Sham Lal was among the four senior SAD leaders named by the beneficieries of job scam in PUNSUP,Local bodies and revenue departments where accused sold jobs between Rs.10 lakhs to 50 lakh each.
According to reports, Vigilance Bureau officials interogated sham Lal in Mohali police station last night where he confessed his relations with Amit Sagar another accused arrested by VB. Police is now looking for an Akali Dal Sarpanch Manjit Singh Bittu of village Kothe Chet Singh wala in Bathinda who is also named one of the key accused.
Sham Lal allegedly took money from four persons recruited Sub Divisional Officers and Junior Engineers in Local bodies department. The beneficieries are identified as Khushwant Singh, Sumit Jindal, Gaurav Sharma and Ajay Kunmar Sharma. Some persons also obtained job in PUDA after paying hefty amount to Duddy and other Akali leaders. The king pin of the job racket belongs to Uttar Pradesh who has used Akali leaders and some beneficieries of jobs as his conduits. The SAD leaders arrested in the job scam have close links with Dyal Singh Kolianwali, SGPC member and a close aide of Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal. Koliawali was last year appointed Chairman of the Punjab Agro Food Grains Corporation. Both Badal and Sukhbir Badal had attended his installation ceremony. PPCC president Capt Amarinder Singh had also held a rally in Lmabi home constituency of Badal to deamnd arrest of Kolianwali. Vigilance Department has arrested Sandeep Singh who paid Rs.20 lakhs to get job of SDO amd also paid Rs.10 lakhs for getting job of clert for her sister in the Local bodies department. Police has recovered Rs.40 lakhs from his possession. After getting job for him and sister, Sandeep became the middleman and helped many others to get the jobs. The second accused arrested by Vigilance department is Amandeep Singh who paid Rs.10 lakhs for job of Inspector grade I in PUNSUP.
They used to take the job aspirants to Lucknow and hand over them the question papers with answers before the test. The Vigilance Bureau has also failed to identify the officials of Panjab University involved in the scam.
The jobs for cash scam came to light only recently when during the recruitment of Patwaris by the Panjab University, the jobs were being sold openly. When Vigilance Bureau got the wind of it, an investigation led to the bigger scam. There is no clue of mastermind behind the job scam. Punjab Government has already cancelled recruitment in some of the departments and considering to cancel the recruitment of Patwaris as well. This is scond time that Badal government had come under shadow for jobs for cash scam. Earlier the PPSC Chairman Ravinder Singh Sidhu was arrested by Capt Amarinder Singh Government for selling PCS Judicial and Executive and DSP jobs during the tenure of Badal Government.