The Punjab Vigilance Bureau apprehended former Congress MLA Kushaldeep Singh Dhillon today on charges of accumulating wealth disproportionate to his known sources of income. The arrest follows a thorough investigation, during which it was discovered that Dhillon had amassed significant assets and acquired properties in the names of other individuals in the village of Mumara, located in the Sadik Tehsil of Faridkot.
According to a spokesperson from the vigilance bureau, a corruption case has been registered against Dhillon, also known as Kiki Dhillon, along with two co-accused individuals identified as Gursewak Singh, a resident of Nanaksar village in the Faridkot district, and Rajwinder Singh, a resident of Dhanna Shaheed village in the Ferozepur district. The bureau has set a check period spanning five years, from April 1, 2017, to March 31, 2022, in order to assess all of the former Faridkot MLA’s movable and immovable assets.
“While conducting the investigation, it was revealed that Dhillon had accumulated wealth exceeding his reported income and had purchased properties in the names of others in the village of Mumara, located in the Sadik Tehsil of Faridkot. Additionally, it was found that his expenditures were approximately 245 per cent higher than his known sources of income,” stated the spokesperson.
The vigilance bureau has registered a case against all the accused at the Vigilance Bureau police station in the Ferozepur range under sections 13(1) and 13(2) of the Prevention of Corruption Act, as well as section 120-B (criminal conspiracy) of the Indian Penal Code. The former MLA has been arrested in connection with this case and will be presented before a court tomorrow. Further investigation into this matter is currently underway.
Prior to his arrest, Dhillon was questioned by the bureau on multiple occasions. The investigation was initiated following a complaint received against the former MLA. Dhillon has consistently denied the allegations, dismissing them as false and politically motivated. He has claimed that the ruling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) is attempting to suppress Congress leaders through such cases.
In response to the situation, the Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann-led AAP government has reiterated its zero-tolerance policy towards corruption and emphasized that it will take appropriate legal action against anyone involved in any form of wrongdoing. Notably, several Congress leaders and former Punjab Ministers, including Bharat Bhushan Ashu and Sadhu Singh Dharamsot, have faced vigilance cases under the present administration.
Just last month, Congress leader and former Punjab Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi appeared before the Vigilance Bureau in connection with a case involving disproportionate assets. Channi has labelled the investigation as “completely political” in nature.
