Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) leader Bikram Singh Majithia on Friday demanded immediate registration of a criminal case against former Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi for allegedly duping four ex-servicemen from the Scheduled Caste community and two others of Rs 45 lakh on the pretext of inducting them into the Punjab Police.

Addressing a press conference here, the SAD leader said the Punjab Police had refused to include the former chief minister’s name in the complaint filed by the four ex-servicemen. “It seems Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann has now come to an understanding with Channi and this is why no action is being taken by the police in this case,” he added.

Giving details of the case, Majithia said that four ex-servicemen had been approached by a Channi confidant Daljit Singh and promised that they would be appointed as sub inspectors in the Punjab Police. He said two others, who had also given varying sums to Daljit, had been promised jobs in the Punjab Police.

One of the ex-servicemen Gurdial Singh claimed they had met Channi along with Daljit with a request to be recruited as sub inspectors in the Punjab Police. He alleged when they had asked the then CM of the ‘sewa paani’ (facilitation charge) necessary to get this done, Channi had told them that Daljit would tell them everything required from their side.

Gurmail claimed following this he had paid Rs 17 lakh even as ex-servicemen Jagdish Singh had paid Rs Six lakh and ex-servicemen Darshan Singh and Dharminder Singh had paid Rs Five lakh each.

He said two other persons – Navdeep Singh and Bachittar Singh – had paid Rs Five lakh and Rs 3.70 lakh respectively. Gurmail claimed to have videographic proof of Channi confidant Robin collecting the money from him personally.

“I met Channi in April 2021 and November 2021 and the latter even issued the ex-servicemen a letter along with a pass from the DGP’s office so that we could meet the DGP on 10 November, 2021,” Gurmail said.

He said when nothing further happened and they realised they had been duped they approached the Amritsar Rural police but it refused to register a case in the matter.

“Finally a case was registered against Daljit when the BKU Ugrahan (farmers’ union) group held a dharna in our support but even then the former chief minister’s name has not been included in the FIR”, Gurdial added.

Majithia said that Gurdial and his associates were being denied justice by the AAP government because Channi had mended his fences with the CM. He said in case the government did not act against Channi, the SAD would approach the Governor besides taking legal recourse in the case.