Ferozepur : Jagpal Singh Sandhu alias Jimmy, former personal assistant (PA) to state BJP chief Kamal Sharma, and former district BJP Yuva Morcha president, was arrested late last night. He was earlier booked on the charges of accepting bribe to facilitate the release of a drug smuggler, Amritpal Singh, who was arrested for possessing illegal weapons and contraband in Ferozepur last month.
Sources said Jimmy appeared before the police at 11 pm yesterday after pressure was mounted on him to surrender. Hardyal Singh Mann, SSP, Ferozepur, said Jimmy was presented before the Judicial Magistrate who has sent him to one day police remand. Amarjit Singh, SP, (Detective), who is investigating the case involving BJP Leaders, said Rs3 lakh bribe, which Jimmy took from Manoj Kumar (posted as an arms clerk in the DC’s office) to help him in a fake arms licence case, was recovered from his house.
The sources said there were two separate cases in which Jimmy had allegedly accepted money to help the accused persons. Police officers said in the case involving Manoj Kumar, Rs15 lakh had exchanged hands which was reportedly shared by Jimmy and two others. The sources said the police were also likely to interrogate Arvinder Singh Chinna alias Pothi, who is reportedly OSD to the state BJP chief. In case, Pothi is arrested, it would lead to further embarrassment for Sharma who is already facing criticism by several Congress and his own party leaders.
An officer said during the interrogation, Jimmy admitted to have passed on Rs6 lakh of the bribe money taken from Manoj to Pothi. In another case involving drug peddler Amritpal Singh, Jimmy had allegedly accepted Rs10 lakh. Another Rs5 lakh was taken by middleman Lakhwinder Singh Lakha. Of this amount, Jimmy had reportedly passed on some money to DSP Balwinder Singh Sekhon and two other BJP leaders.
Gurdip Singh, SHO, Ferozepur city, said after the case was exposed, Jimmy along with others returned the bribe money to Lakha which was recovered during a raid at his residence. “We have already recovered Rs14 lakh of Rs15 lakh paid by the family of Amritpal through Lakha who has already been arrested,” he said.
It is pertinent to mention that Jimmy alongwith DSP Sekhon and Lakha had taken money to dissolve the names of Jasbir Singh ( Father), Jagdeep Kaur ( wife) and Gurvinder Singh, the brother of Amritpal, all of whom had also been named in the FIR No 155 dated 20/06/2015 registered at PS Sadar. Two pistols alongwith 100 grams Heroin had been recovered from Amritpal in that case. The sources said the police were likely to arrest Gurcharan Singh, BJP chief of Mallanwala block, who also reportedly shared the bribe money. Two other suspected persons, including DSP Balwinder Singh Sekhon and district BJP president Jugraj Singh Katora, had been summoned to join the investigations, but they were evading police action. Mann said Sekhon had applied for leave after his name surfaced in the controversy, but his leave was not sanctioned. “Since then, the DSP has been missing,” he added.
The charges
Former BJP Yuva Morcha Ferozepur chief Jagpal Singh Sandhu alias Jimmy (pic) was booked for allegedly accepting bribe to facilitate the release of drug smuggler Amritpal Singh last month
In another case, he reportedly took Rs 3 lakh from Manoj Kumar to help him in a fake arms licence case
More arrests likely
Sources say the police are likely to arrest Gurcharan Singh, BJP chief of Mallanwala block, who also reportedly shared the bribe money
Two other suspected persons, including DSP Balwinder Singh Sekhon and district BJP president Jugraj Singh Katora, have been summoned to join the investigations, but they are evading police action
