SHIMLA: The Himachal Pradesh State Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Bureau has registered a case against former Independent MLA from Dehra, Hoshiyar Singh, for the alleged misappropriation and misuse of government funds.
According to a report by News18 Himachal, this action has been confirmed in an official press note issued by the Himachal Pradesh Police Headquarters. the action follows a detailed inquiry conducted by the State Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Bureau into a complaint regarding the misuse of public money.
The complaint alleged that the former Dehra legislator transferred Rs 50,000 each into the bank accounts of 16 employees working at his private factory, projecting them as beneficiaries. The total amount involved in the transaction is around Rs 8 lakh.
During the preliminary investigation, the Vigilance Bureau examined official documents, bank records of the concerned beneficiaries, and statements from the complainants and other individuals.
The probe revealed that during 2023 and 2024, financial assistance under the MLA Discretionary Fund was sanctioned and released in the names of certain individuals. However, the complainants and other linked individuals stated that they had never applied for any such financial assistance.
Furthermore, these beneficiaries reportedly disclosed during the investigation that once the funds were credited to their bank accounts, they withdrew the money in cash and handed it back to the former MLA, as per his instructions.
Based on the documentary evidence and bank records collected during the verification process, it was established that the government funds were used against their intended purpose, and the actual benefits of the sanctioned amounts never reached the listed beneficiaries.
Consequently, a case was registered at the Dharamshala Police Station on July 16 under Sections 409 and 420 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), 1860.
Hoshiyar Singh is a two-time former MLA from the Dehra assembly constituency, having won both elections as an Independent candidate. Following the political developments during the 2024 Rajya Sabha elections, he resigned from his seat and subsequently joined the BJP. He later contested the 2024 Dehra assembly by-election on a BJP ticket but lost to Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu’s wife, Kamlesh Thakur. The alleged irregularities took place during his tenure before he joined the BJP.
