Punjab Vigilance Bureau Asks Channi to Appear on Friday, Congress Calls It ‘Harassment’

On a day he shared the stage with his party’s top leadership in the state to present a picture of unity, former Punjab chief minister and Congress leader Charanjit Channi was asked by the Vigilance Bureau to present himself for questioning on Friday, and turned down his request for appearance on April 20 in a disproportionate assets case.

The Vigilance Bureau had earlier asked him to appear before it on Wednesday but Channi had requested postponement till April 20. However, on Thursday afternoon the agency shot off a letter to the Congress leader, directing him to present himself on April 14. The bureau said that since officials were not available on that day, he should turn up for questioning on Friday.

The Congress was quick to term it “harassment”, claiming that, rattled by the presence of Chhani in the campaigning for the May 10 Jalandhar Lok Sabha bypoll, the letter had been issued. “This is sheer attempt at intimidation. The AAP government is rattled by today’s show of strength,” alleged leader of opposition in the assembly Partap Bajwa.

Trying to give a message that there is no infighting and the Congress leadership stands behind its candidate Karamjit Kaur Chaudhary for the by poll, the party put up a united face during the filing of her nomination papers on Thursday.

All leaders, including Channi and Rajinder Kaur Bhattal, ex-state unit chief Navjot Sidhu, party Punjab incharge Harish Chaudhary, present state unit president Amarinder S Raja Warring, Partap Bajwa, MP Gurjit Aujla, state unit working president Bharat Bhushan Ashu, ex-ministers Avtar Henry and Amarjit Samra, and party bypoll incharge Rana Gurjeet Singh came together at Congress Bhawan.

Ex-Jalandhar MP MS Kaypee, who had been sulking over not getting a ticket, also joined them after the candidate and her son and Phillaur MLA Vikramjit Chaudhary visited him last evening.

“We are united and support our candidate Karamjit Chaudhary after the death of her husband and Jalandhar MP Santokh Singh Chaudhary,” said Warring.

The Vigilance Bureau says a detailed dossier has been prepared by a team to question the former chief minister regarding assets owned by him. This would be the first time that Channi will appear before the agency.

Last month, the Vigilance Bureau issued a lookout notice against Channi, fearing that he may attempt to fly out.

Channi was under the Enforcement Directorate’s scanner after his nephew Bhupinder Singh Honey was arrested in connection with an alleged corruption case last year, and approximately Rs 10 crore was seized from his possession. The ED has been scrutinising Channi, his brothers, family members, and some aides for allegedly amassing wealth beyond their declared sources of income. Agencies suspect that the former CM had provided “undue favours” to certain contractors.

According to the ED, Honey had accumulated money by assisting mining contractors and facilitating the transfer and posting of officials.

Read all the Latest India News here