Ludhiana MLA faces job scam claims from ex-aide, denies it.

Ludhiana: A former aide to Aam Aadmi Party legislator Ashok Parashar Pappi has accused the lawmaker and his son of extorting money for jobs and laundering funds through overseas transfers, claims which the MLA has denied.The development comes just as central agencies arrested a Punjab minister in a related graft investigation. Nikhil Sabharwal, who described himself as the MLA's ex-office in-charge, levelled the charges in a video statement. He claimed the duo charged ₹1 lakh for each job awarded under the district collector's recruitment scheme, with Sabharwal personally handing collections to Pappi.Sabharwal said Pappi had fired him two years ago, pinned the blame on him and prompted a police case. He further alleged that ₹89 lakh landed in his account from overseas sources, which he then routed to accounts tied to Pappi's family, including his wife.Specific alleged transfers included ₹40 lakh on March 8, 2024, and ₹25 lakh the next day. On April 24, 2024, a municipal building inspector deposited ₹30 lakh into Sabharwal's account; he said he sent ₹15 lakh to Pappi and ₹99,000 rupees to his son.Pappi denied the accusations. He said Sabharwal had sought work after Pappi's 2022 election win and was fired a year later upon discovery of his scams targeting locals, possibly via municipal corporation contacts. The MLA told police to file a case and pursue action after Sabharwal duped two people for cash. MSID:: 130996509 413 |