Former Congress MLA Kushaldeep Dhillon Arrested In Disproportionate Assets Case

The Punjab Vigilance Bureau on Tuesday arrested former Congress MLA Kushaldeep Singh Dhillon for allegedly amassing "huge wealth" than his known sources of income, officials said.

A corruption case has been registered against Mr Dhillon, alias Kiki Dhillon, along with co-accused Gursewak Singh, a resident of village Nanaksar, Faridkot district and Rajwinder Singh, a resident of village Dhanna Shaheed, Ferozepur district, after investigation, a spokesperson of the vigilance bureau said.

The spokesperson, in a statement, further said that to assess the former Faridkot MLA's all movable and immovable assets, a check period of five years from April 1, 2017 to March 31, 2022 had been fixed by the bureau.

"During the probe it was found that Dhillon had created wealth more than all his income and purchased properties in the names of other persons in village Mumara, tehsil Sadik, Faridkot. It was also found that he had made expenditures of about 245 per cent more than his known sources of income," he added.

The spokesperson said that a case "under sections 13(1), 13(2) of the Prevention of Corruption Act and section 120-B (criminal conspiracy) of IPC has been registered against all the accused at Vigilance Bureau police station, Ferozepur range".

"The former MLA has been arrested in this case and would be produced before a court tomorrow. Further investigation in this case is under progress," he added.

Prior to his arrest, Mr Dhillon had been questioned by the bureau, which had started an investigation against the former MLA after receiving a complaint, on more than three occasions.

Mr Dhillon had earlier said the allegations against him were false and politically motivated and claimed the ruling AAP was trying to suppress Congress leaders through these cases.

The Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann-led AAP government has said it has a zero tolerance policy towards corruption and will proceed as per law against anyone who indulges in any wrongdoing.

Earlier, Congress leaders and former Punjab Ministers, including Bharat Bhushan Ashu and Sadhu Singh Dharamsot, have faced vigilance cases under the present dispensation. Last month, Congress leader and former Punjab chief minister Charanjit Singh Channi appeared before the Vigilance Bureau in connection with a disproportionate assets case. Mr Channi has described the probe as "totally political".

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