Chit fund row: Minister faces heat as BJP leader is arrested

HARIDWAR: Angry men and women gheraoed a police station and the residence of Cabinet minister Madan Kaushik here on Wednesday after a couple duped them of money invested in a chit fund scheme.

Savinder Singh and his wife Gurpreet Kaur allegedly used to operate the GIG Group Kitty. Gurpreet is a BJP women wing’s vice-president, the protesters alleged, adding the couple rented a hall at the GIG Mall adjacent to BJP mayor Manoj Garg’s camp office for their chit fund operation.

The police arrested Gurpreet while her husband is absconding.

“We never imagined that Gurpreet, who was seen on party rallies several times with minister Madan Kaushik, mayor Manoj Garg and other BJP leaders, will fool us. We invested our hard earned money...but we are shocked to know the foul game,” Deepti, a Gobindpuri colony resident, said, demanding immediate arrest of Savinder Singh and ensuring their money be returned.

Incidentally, a NGO has already lodged a case against Gurpreet Kaur and another BJP leader alleging their involvement in illegal practices in veil of kitty.

Meanwhile, Kaushik said he didn’t know Gurpreet personally. “As a senior leader, legislator and now Cabinet minister, I get approached by hundreds of people and party activists. No one is above law even if they are associated with the BJP ,” he said.

Meanwhile, the Congress accused Kaushik and local BJP leaders of putting pressure on the police and of threatening investors. “The BJP’s face has been unmasked... A large number of BJP workers are involved in this nexus. Despite the people gheraoing the police station, a complaint was initially not registered. This was done on the directive of Kaushik and Garg to save their colleague,” Congress leader OP Chauhan said..

City police station in-charge Chandrabhan Singh said the police is interrogating the accused and assured of arresting the other person.