The Himachal Pradesh Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Bureau has booked former Dehra MLA Hoshiyar Singh in connection with alleged misuse of the MLA Discretionary Fund, officials said on Tuesday.
The bureau has intensified its investigation into allegations that financial assistance credited to the bank accounts of beneficiaries was later collected back from them, they said.
The inquiry was initiated based on a complaint lodged by an employee at a factory allegedly linked to the former MLA. After scrutiny of the complaint, statements, government records and relevant bank documents, the bureau found sufficient grounds to register a criminal case.
Preliminary investigation revealed that financial assistance of Rs 50,000 each was sanctioned from the MLA Discretionary Fund between July 2023 and January 2024, and credited to the bank accounts of 16 factory employees.
However, the funds, estimated to be around Rs 8 lakh, were later recovered from the beneficiaries.
The FIR was registered at the Vigilance Bureau police station in Dharamshala on July 16.
According to the Vigilance Bureau, based on documentary evidence and bank records collected during verification, it was prima facie revealed that the government funds were allegedly used contrary to the intended purpose, and the beneficiaries did not receive the actual benefit of the amount sanctioned in their names.
Singh, who was elected to Vidhan Sabha from the Dehra constituency in 2017 and 2022, could not be contacted despite repeated calls.
An Independent MLA, Singh resigned from the Vidhan Sabha in 2024. He contested the by-election to the seat on a BJP ticket, but was defeated by Kamlesh Thakur, wife of Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Thakur.
