Chandigarh: Former Punjab Chief Secretary Sarvesh Kaushal did not appear before the Vigilance Bureau for questioning in a case related to the irrigation scam on Tuesday.
Similarly, former minister Sharanjit Singh Dhillon has also expressed his inability to appear and demanded a new date.
Vigilance officials said That Kaushal has gone abroad these days due to which he did not join the investigation. The case is being investigated by a team of vigilance officials led by AIG Manmohan Sharma.
Sharma said a copy of the summons for joining the investigation was sent through WhatsApp on the contact number received from the former chief secretary’s residence in Chandigarh, but Kaushal did not respond further. Kaushal had earlier also been summoned by the Vigilance.
Sources say that the former chief secretary has been seen in the US in the last few days. Vigilance officials say that Sharanjit Singh Dhillon will appear on Friday and explain his side.
Dhillon was the irrigation minister during the SAD-BJP government. Sarvesh Kaushal was serving as principal secretary and Kahan Singh Pannu as secretary.
Pannu has met the vigilance officials in the past and explained his side. The previous Congress government in Punjab had not given permission to the Vigilance to probe the the case, but the inquiry was started after the AAP government approved the further investigation.
Vigilance officials said further action would be taken after examining the statements and documents of all the persons after examining the three officers, two former ministers Janmeja Singh Sekhon, Sharanjit Singh Dhillon and personal assistants of the two.
The case was registered by the Punjab Vigilance Bureau on August 17, 2017, during the Congress regime. Contractor Gurinder Singh and engineers of the irrigation department were arrested in the case.