Punjab Vigilance Bureau Files Case Against Ex-Minister, Conducts Raids

Punjab Vigilance Bureau has registered a case against former state finance minister Manpreet Singh Badal and five others in connection with alleged irregularities in the purchase of a property in Bathinda, a top official said on Monday. Apart from Mr Badal, who is now in the BJP, and former Bathinda Development Authority (BDA) chief administrator Bikramjit Shergill, the other four booked in the case on Sunday night have been identified as Rajiv Kumar, Amandeep Singh, Vikas Arora and Pankaj, the official said.

Rajiv Kumar, Amandeep Singh and Vikas Arora have been arrested, the official added.

Raids were being conducted to nab Mr Badal and the remaining accused, a spokesperson of the vigilance bureau said.

Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann took a swipe at Mr Badal, saying those who used to boast about honesty are now running from pillar to post to save their skin.

"There is a huge difference between speaking the truth and standing by it," the chief minister.

These leaders earlier used to say that they would wait for whatever action is taken against them but are now seeking legal protection against arrest.

The vigilance bureau had launched an investigation into the matter based on former MLA Sarup Chand Singla's 2021 complaint alleging irregularities in the purchase of the property at a prime location in Bathinda.

BJP leader Singla, who was earlier with the Shiromani Akali Dal, had alleged that Mr Badal, as a minister in the previous Congress dispensation, had abused his position to convert two commercial plots into a residential plot for himself.

The case was registered under relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code, including sections 420 (cheating) and 468 (forgery), and also under the Prevention of Corruption Act.

During the probe, it was found that Mr Badal abused his position to purchase two plots measuring 1,560 square yards of land in Model Town phase-1 Bathinda thereby causing a financial loss of lakhs of rupees to the state exchequer, the vigilance bureau claimed.

The spokesperson of the bureau said it was found that the former FM allegedly colluded with the officials of the BDA Bathinda, misled the general public during the bidding of plots in the year 2021 and fake maps were uploaded to prevent public participation in the bidding process.

Apart from this, the plot numbers 725-C (560 square yards) and 726 (1,000 square yards) in the map were also shown as commercial instead of residential and the numbers of plots were not shown in the map on the online e-auction portal, it was alleged.

In addition to this, the digital signatures of an administrative officer of the BDA Bathinda were used for the auction of plots without permission, said the spokesperson.

It also came to light that the bids of the sole three bidders namely Rajiv Kumar, Vikas Arora and Amandeep Singh were made by one person identified as advocate Sanjiv Kumar.

Apart from this, both the plots were purchased by the bidders in 2021 at a lower rate which was fixed during an auction in the year 2018, causing a financial loss of about Rs 65 lakh to the government.

The former finance minister purchased both plots through agreements from the bidders known to him before they got allotment letters from the BDA Bathinda.

It was also found that Mr Badal transferred 25 per cent earnest money in advance to the successful allottees which shows his connivance with the bidders, said the spokesperson.

During the investigation, the Vigilance Bureau had interrogated Mr Badal in July.

A few days ago, Mr Badal had filed a pre-arrest bail application in a court in Bathinda and the matter is listed for hearing on September 26.

Mr Badal had joined the BJP after quitting the Congress in January this year.

In a statement, CM Mann, while targeting Mr Badal, said, "These hypocrites always befooled people with their flowery language".

Under the garb of public service, they looted the wealth of the state which is not tolerable, said Mann, adding that they will be made accountable for their "sins" and every penny plundered from the state treasury will be recovered.

The entire Punjab was well aware of the "misdeeds" of the former minister, said Mann.

After his questioning in July, Mr Badal had accused Chief Minister Mann of trying to suppress the voice of his political opponents with such action.

Mann should not consider him like Punjab Congress chief Amarinder Raja Warring, Mr Badal said and stressed that he would never kowtow to the AAP leader.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)