Akali leader Kolianwali booked in disproportionate assets case: official

Senior Akali leader and former member of Punjab Subordinate Service Selection Board (PSSSB) Dyal Singh Kolianwali was today booked on charges of having amassed wealth disproportionate to known sources of income, an official said.

Punjab Vigilance Bureau registered a case against Kolianwali, a former chairman of Punjab Agro Industries during the previous SAD-BJP regime, for amassing wealth by allegedly misusing his official position, an official spokesperson of the Vigilance Bureau (VB) said here.

However, the Shiromani Akali Dal described the registration of the case against Kolianwali as political vendetta.

For investigation, the vigilance bureau chose period between 2009 and 2014 during which the accused was holding a responsible position, the spokesperson said.

"The VB found that Kolianwali, who was considered close to the Badal family, had a total income of Rs 2.39 crore. During the check period, the accused had allegedly spent Rs 4.10 crore on various movable and immovable properties including other expenditures which was more than 71 per cent of his actual earning," the spokesman claimed.

During investigation, it was also found that the accused allegedly "misused" his official position for transfer of employees with the collusion of government officials and then allegedly "collected money with the help of illegal elements", the official spokesman added.

It was found that Koilanwali amassed properties, hotels, agricultural farms in states like Rajasthan, Uttarakhand etc, the spokesman said.

The spokesperson said a disproportionate assets case was registered against the accused under sections of prevention of corruption act at VB police station SAS Nagar(Mohali) and investigation were under progress.

Meanwhile, SAD spokesman and former minister Daljit Singh Cheema termed the registration of case against Kolianwali as sheer political vendetta.

"How can a government agency book a person without calling him for verification?" asked Cheema claiming it was "sheer political vendetta".

The government booked him (Kolianwali) in order to divert attention from the burning issues like drug menace and sand mining, said Cheema.