Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on Thursday gave a one-week ultimatum to the former CM, Charanjit Singh Channi, to make public the name of his nephew who sought Rs Two Crore for a government job or he (Mann) will make details of the case public to prove the allegation.

In a tweet on Thursday, Mann said, “Respectfully, Charanjit Channi ji I am giving you an opportunity till 31 May 2 p.m. to make public all the information about your nephew asking for bribe from a sportsperson for a job …or then  on 31 May at 2 p.m. I will reveal the photos…name and meeting place. I will put everything in front of Punjab,” the CM tweeted in Punjabi.

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With Charanjit Singh Channi denying the charge of seeking Rs 2 crore from a cricket player for a government job under sports quota through a relative, the Bhagwant Mann had on Tuesday said the former CM should ask his family members to find out the truth or he will have no place to hide once he (Mann) proves the allegation by bringing his concerned cricketer forward to back the claim.

After the Punjab CM on Monday accused Channi of seeking Rs 2 crore for a government job, the Congress leader had hit out at Mann for levelling false allegations against him. Channi claimed he never took money for jobs or transfers through his nephew.

“CM Bhagwant Mann is lying. They (Aam Aadmi Party government) are trying to send me to jail at any cost. The CM is misusing the Vigilance Bureau. They are trying to get false statements from people. You (Mann) keep making your effort against me but I am not scared. We gave a job to a female sportsperson who was deaf and dumb, and also gave jobs to hockey players who brought medals. Go and ask them if we had taken a single penny from them for giving a job,” said Channi.

Responding to this, Mann on Tuesday said he will not reveal the name of the Punjab cricketer from whom the money was sought.”But Channi should have ask his nephew if he demanded the money without informing him. Maybe they (nephew) didn’t inform him, that’s why Rs Eight Crore were found at his (nephew’s) residence,” he added.

Channi’s nephew Bhupinder Singh Honey was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in February 2022 in an illegal mining case and Rs 8 crore cash was found from his residence in Ludhiana and Mohali.

Mann had advised Channi to take three-four days to find out the truth before claiming innocence in the case. “If I bring the player forward (from whom the money was sought), he  (Channi) will have no place to hide.  So it will be better if he keeps his mouth shut.  But we will investigate what was the meaning of two (alleged reference to Rs Two Crore). That’s what Punjab’s player told me. Maybe his nephew is not under his control, that’s why Rs Eight Crore was found at his residence,” the Punjab CM added.

Addressing a gathering at Dirba in Sangrur on Monday, the CM had said recently when he went to watch a cricket match in Dharamshala, a Punjab player told him that he had applied for a job in the sports quota and approached then CM, Captain Amarinder Singh, for the same.

Mann said the player was told by Captain Amarinder that he will get the job. But then the Congress removed Amarinder as CM in 2021 and replaced him with Channi. The CM said when this player went to Channi, with the similar request for the job, he was told to meet his nephew.Mann said when the player met Channi’s nephew, the latter told him it would take “two”. The CM said the player thought he was saying Rs Two lakh for the job.

Mann claimed when the player reached the nephew with Rs Two lakh, Channi’s nephew abused him, because the nephew said he meant Rs Two Crore not Rs Two lakh. The CM said Channi’s nephew used to seek Rs Two Crore for every job but still these people (Channi) say that they  are poor. “When the Vigilance (Bureau) goes to their (Channi’s) house, it is said that the vigilance is going to the house of the poor. Has vigilance ever gone to the homes of the poor,” he asked.