New Delhi: Sacked health minister in the Punjab cabinet, Vijay Singla was sent to a 14-day judicial custody by the Mohali court on Friday, reported news agency PTI. Singla was arrested on charges of corruption on Tuesday after Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann sacked him as he was accused of demanding “one percent commission” in tenders and purchases by his department.
Earlier, the ex-minister had been sent to a three-day police custody till Friday by the court.
Singla’s Officer on Special Duty (OSD), Pardeep Kumar, too has been sent to judicial custody till June 10. The next day of hearing is June 10.
Singla and his OSD Kumar were booked on a complaint by Superintending Engineer Rajinder Singh, posted at Punjab Health System Corporation.
Singh had alleged that they demanded a bribe of Rs 1.16 crore from the allotments of projects and “one percent commission” in government contracts.
Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann was heavily praised by his Delhi counterpart Arvind Kejriwal who has said, “Punjab CM Bhagwant Mann sacked the state's Health Minister...who's been arrested. No one knew about this corruption, neither the media nor the Opposition. Had CM Mann wanted, he would've asked for a slice of it with a 'setting’.”
“But he did not do it. He took action against his minister on his own. Bhagwant, we are proud of you. The whole Punjab & country are proud,” added the Delhi CM.
Kejriwal had also accused other political parties of having a “setting” within themselves till now. “They did not take action against each other’s leaders, let alone catch their own ministers,” he said, adding that “it’s the first time that a party has taken action against its own ministers.”