CHANDIGARH: Punjab Health Minister Vijay Singla was on Friday sent to 14-day judicial custody. His nephew, Pardeep Kumar, who was also Singla’s OSD, has also been sent to judicial custody till June 10. The next date of hearing in the case is June 10.
Advocate H S Dhanoa, the counsel for Singla, said the two will be sent to Rupnagar jail. Both Singla and Pardeep have agreed to give their voice samples. Earlier, the court had sent Singla to three-day police custody till Friday.
Singla. 52, was arrested on corruption charges on Tuesday after Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann sacked him following accusations that he was demanding two per cent commission in tenders and purchases by his department.
Singla and Kumar were booked on the basis of a complaint by Punjab Health System Corporation superintending engineer Rajinder Singh. The officer had alleged that the duo had demanded Rs 1.16 crore in bribe for the allotment of projects and two per cent commission in government contracts. Before being taken to the court, Singla told reporters that there seems to be a conspiracy hatched by some “outsider forces” behind the charges against him.