Raids In Punjab To Arrest BJP's Manpreet Badal In Corruption Case

Following a Look Out Circular, Punjab Vigilance teams raided several locations in Punjab, Himachal Pradesh, Haryana, Delhi, Uttarakhand and Rajasthan, in search of Manpreet Singh Badal, who is accused of alleged corruption in the purchase of two plots in Model Town phase-1 Bathinda.

The raids follow a lookout notice issued by the court against Manpreet Badal. Police fear that Badal, who was the finance minister in the Congress government but has since joined the BJP, could have fled abroad.

Manpreet Badal's bail plea was filed on September 26 but has since been withdrawn after the vigilance department filed the FIR against him. The vigilance probe against Badal had started after a complaint was filed against Badal in a case pertaining to the purchase of plots in Bhatinda's Model Town.

The case was registered against him under sections 420, 467, 468, 471, and 120-B of the Indian Penal Code and section 13 (1) of the Prevention of Corruption Act, besides the Information Technology Act.

Notably, a look out notice has been issued by the vigilance department to stop Manpreet Badal from leaving the country. 

Apart from Badal, cases have been registered against four other individuals as well. So far, the Vigilance Bureau has arrested at least three accused in the case, namely Rajiv Kumar (resident of New Shakti Nagar), Amandeep Singh (resident of Lal Singh Basti), and Vikas Arora (resident of Tagore Nagar).

The case was registered on a complaint filed by Saroop Chand Singla, former MLA of Bathinda city, against Manpreet Singh Badal and others, a spokesperson of the Vigilance Bureau said.  

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