Job scam: Woman BJP leader finally sacked

SHIMLA: The BJP woman leader, accused of cheating hundreds of youths in the multi-crore Assam Rifles job scam, was finally sacked from the board of directors of Himachal Pradesh Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes Development Corporation, Solan, on Friday.
The development follows opposition Congress recently rocking the proceedings of the winter session on the issue. Anita Sandal, arrested by Kangra police, is currently under judicial remand.
A notification issued by the state government on Friday announced the removal of Anita, a resident of Garli village under Dehra tehsil of Kangra district, as non-official member of board of directors of HPSCSTDC, Solan. The Congress had raised the issue after over 300 youth from Kangra district lodged complaints at Dehra and Jawalaji police stations complaining Anita, her husband Kuldeep Sandal and brother-in-law Ranjeet Sandal, besides others.
Anita had contested the 2003 assembly elections from Pragpur constituency of Kangra district on BJP ticket, but lost. Later, she was appointed as director of HPSCSTDC by the state government. She had applied for bail but was arrested by Kangra police after Himachal Pradesh high court rejected the bail application.
The victims, in their complaint, have claimed that Anita, in connivance with her husband and brother-in-law, promised a job in Assam Rifles for which Rs 1.5 lakh to Rs 2.5 lakh was taken from them. They have also alleged that on the basis of their fake medical test, conducted in a hotel in Guwahati, they were even handed over fake job letters.
Congress has already decided to corner the state government on the issue and have pressed for a CBI probe describing it as the biggest job scam in the history of the state.
"It is shocking that the state government took so long to act against the accused leader, who has been named in the police FIR and is currently in judicial remand. The state government should ensure the return of amount usurped by Anita Sandal and her associates from the victims," said Mukesh Agnihotri, Congress MLA from Santokhgarh and chairman of Congress media cell.