Chandigarh, May 11 (IANS) Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) leader Bikram Singh Majithia on Monday demanded an Enforcement Directorate (ED) probe against Punjab Aam Aadmi Party legislator Ashok Kumar Pappi Prashar for alleged large scale corruption, including money laundering by using the account of his personal assistant.
The SAD leader told the media here that Ludhiana (Central) MLA Prashar used his personal assistant Nikhil Sabharwal as a front man to collect Rs 1.10 crore from 87 people who were to be appointed on a contractual basis in the Ludhiana Municipal Corporation and 39 people who were to be appointed as clerks.
“Forged lists were made to show the candidates that they had been selected but when the scam was exposed the MLA told his PA to leave the city or else he would be killed.”
Highlighting another scam perpetrated by MLA Prashar, Majithia said the MLA twice got money put in his PA’s account and withdrew the same through his family members.
He said the first such case took place on March 8, 2024, when the MLA got Rs 90 lakh deposited in his PA’s account from a person in Canada.
He said on the same day Rs 40 lakh were transferred to the account of the MLA’s wife Meenu Prashar while on the next day Rs 10 lakh and Rs 25 lakh were transferred to Meenu Prashar’s account.
Disclosing another crime committed by the MLA, Majithia said on April 24, 2024, a building inspector of Ludhiana — Harminder Singh Makkar — deposited Rs 30 lakh in the account of the MLA’s PA.
He said as per the earlier modus operandi MLA Prashar got Rs 15 lakh transferred to his account on the very next day while Rs 99,000 was transferred in the account of the MLA’s son.
He said the remaining amount was settled by raising fake bills. Majithia said Prashar proved his closeness with building inspector Harminder Makkar by recommending in writing that the latter’s transfer order to Jalandhar be revoked and was successful in doing so.
He showed the recommendation to the media. He also disclosed that when he came to know about the case and tweeted on the same, the MLA got a false case registered against Nikhil Sabharwal who had left his employment two years back. “Right now the Ludhiana police are conducting raids at Nikhil’s house. It is clear that Nikhil cannot get justice under the present dispensation and only a CBI probe can expose the corruption unleashed by Pappi Prashar,” he said.
Nikhil Sabharwal while speaking on the occasion said he started working as Prashar’s PA in 2022 on a salary of Rs 13,000 per month and that the MLA had told him to find people willing to be appointed in the municipal corporation.
He said when Rs 1.10 crore was taken from these people but they did not get any job they started hounding him following which he had to sell his house for Rs 30 lakh to make part payments.
He said ever since he was threatened by the MLA he had taken up private employment. “Only now I have learnt that a police case has been registered against me after Majithia tweeted about the entire issue. I demand the case be shifted from the Ludhiana police and a central agency be given the responsibility of the entire probe.”
He also disclosed that his mobile phone had been snatched from him and he had been beaten up but was ready to give evidence to nail the corrupt activities of Prashar.
–IANS
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