Driving Naari Programme launched in Chandigarh
Patiala, The court of additional sessions judgePushpinder Kaur today sentenced former chairman of Punjab Public Service Commission and former journalist Ravider Pal Singh Sidhu to seven years’ rigorous imprisonment along with fine of Rs 1 crore, holding him and three others guilty in the cash-for-job scam that hit the headlines in 2002 within days of Capt.Amarinder Singh taking over as the Chief Minister. He was arrested on March 25, 2002.
The court sentenced then PPSCsecretary Pritpal Singh and Paramjit Singh Pammi to four-year imprisonment along with Rs 5,000 fine while another accused PS Sodhi got two years imprisonment but he got bail.
It may be mentioned that crores of rupees tumbled out of the lockers of Ravi Sidhu in Chandigarh banks after his arrest as the vigilance bureau started investigations.
The case was registered under Sections 420, 467, 468, 471-A, 409 and 120-B of the Indian Penal Code and Sections 7, 13(1) (d) (i) of the Prevention of Corruption Act against Sidhu, his mother Pritpal Kaur, brother Reetinder Singh, sister-in-law Ajinder Kaur, Pritpal Singh, PS Sodhi, Paramjit Singh Pammi, Randhir Dheera, Jagman Singh, Shamsher Singh and Prem Sagar.
The first case was registered against Sidhu on March 25, 2002, after he was nabbed red-handed accepting a bribe of Rs 5 lakh from Bhupjit Singh, Excise and Taxation Inspector. He was also booked for possessing assets disproportionate to his known sources of income.
The bureau had released a list of 32 appointees, who allegedly got jobs, either by bribing the PPSC chairman through his agents or through their contacts.
