Punjab’s ex-forest minister Dharamsot arrested in graft charges

Former Punjab minister Sadhu Singh Dharamsot has been arrested. His arrest was made by Vigilance in the early morning around 3 AM. It is being said that he was arrested from Amloh. He was alleged to have been taking bribe in exchange for felling trees. Dharamsot was the Forest Minister in Captain Amarinder Singh’s government. However, as soon as the Captain was removed, his ministerial post was also gone. Before Rahul Gandhi reachedPunjab, the arrest of a Congress leader stirred up politics in Punjab.

Sadhu Singh Dharamsot

As per the copy of FIR some officials of the Forest Department and DFO of Mohali were caught on charges of bribery. In the FIR, ex forest minister Sangat Singh Giljian’s name is also mentioned along with IFS officer Amit Chauhan, Chamkaur Singh-Officer on Special Duty (OSD) to Dharamsot, Kulwinder Singh Shergil-Personal Secretary (PS) to Giljian. 

During interrogation, DFO Guramanpreet Singh alleged that during his tenure as the Forest Minister, Dharamsot used to take a bribe of Rs 500 for the felling of a tree. He also said that not only was the bribe taken for cutting trees, but the commission for planting each tree was also fixed.

Dharamsot is being arrested from Amloh and brought to Mohali. Here Vigilance will inquire further from him. He has also been an accused in the Post Matric Scholarship scam. As Social Security Minister, he was accused of giving the scholarship budget to private colleges and universities. In return, he got a commission.

Dharamsot was surrounded by all-round after his name came in the scholarship scam. When the matter became political, the government constituted an inquiry committee against him.

However, after the investigation, the then Captain Amarinder Singh government had given a clean chit to him.