Case filed against Sandhu, who was OSD to former CM Captain: bought solar street lights at high price; Completion certificate issued without installation in 26 villages

File photo of street lights.

Vigilance has registered a corruption case against Congress leader Captain Sandeep Sandhu in the Rs 65 lakh solar street light scam in Ludhiana’s Sidhwanbet block. However, the accused has not been arrested yet. Accused Sandeep Sandhu has also been the OSD of former CM Captain Amarinder Singh. Sandhu contested the 2022 assembly elections on a Congress ticket from Dakha, but he was defeated. This action against the accused has been done on the complaint of Dr. KN Kang, who contested the election on AAP ticket from Dakha constituency. Sandhu is accused of misusing the government money by forming a fake company and buying solar street lights at a higher price than the government price and giving it to the sarpanches. In Mullanpur, Jagraon and Raikot, solar street lights purchased at higher rates were supplied by Sandhu’s relatives. Earlier, in the Vigilance case, Sidhwanbet Block Committee chairman Lakhwinder Singh and BDPO Talwinder Singh Kang were arrested. Harpreet Singh, a relative (brother-in-law) of Captain Sandhu, has also been named. Government grant was to be given to install 45 and 60 watt solar street lights in about 26 villages under Sidhwanbet. It is alleged that Harpreet Singh, a relative of Captain Sandeep Sandhu, along with Lakhwinder Singh, chairman of Sidhwanbet Block Committee, created political pressure on the BDPO to get the grant. Then BDPO Talwinder Singh Kang in alleged connivance with the owner of M/s Amar Electrical Enterprises, Gaurav Sharma, finalized the lights at the rate of Rs.7288 per light against the approved price of Rs.3325 and got a check of Rs.65 lakh deducted in the name of M/s Amar Electrical. Even without installing lights in these 26 villages, the completion certificate was issued to the contractor. To avoid allegations and suppress the scam, some 40W lights were installed in just 4-5 villages.