Former MC chief accuses CPS Dhugga of bribery
Saturday, 21/02/2015
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BATALA: Chief parliamentary secretary (CPS) and Sri Hargobindpur Akali MLA Des Raj Dhugga has been accused by a rival faction led by former municipal council president Harjit Singh Bhalla of demanding ` 10 lakh from his son for withdrawing papers of four SAD candidates to facilitate the victory of Bhalla’s supporters in the civic polls.
Holding a press conference here, Harjit stated that after failing to get an SAD ticket, he and his supporters filed their papers from all 11 wards as Independents.
He added that a few days ago, his son Gaurav Bhalla, who runs a brick kiln in partnership with Dhugga, got a call from the Akali leader, who asked for ` 10 lakh for withdrawing papers of four SAD candidates and supporting Harjit’s candidates.
On February 16, Gaurav paid ` 3 lakh to Dhugga at his residence at Gardhiwal as the first instalment. The entire conversation was recorded, claimed Harjit’s son Sandeep.
Later, Dhugga withdrew papers of four SAD candidates — Kulwant Kaur, Kuldeep Singh, Surjit Singh and Bhod Raj, Harjit claimed, adding that Dhugga then asked Gaurav to reach at a chemist shop near Sri Hargobindpur with ` 7 lakh.
Though Dhugga accepted that there was a conversation between him and Gaurav, he denied that it was concerning the civic polls. He said being a partner of Gaurav in the brickkiln business, he had asked for ` 10 lakh as his share of the profit from the venture.
