Former Punjab Minister Manpreet Singh Badal Gets Interim Bail From HC

Badal and five others were booked by the Punjab Vigilance bureau in connection with the case under Prevention of Corruption Act, India Penal Code, and Information Technology Act on September 24. 

Former Punjab finance minister Manpreet Singh Badal

Source : X/@MSBADAL

Former Punjab finance minister Manpreet Singh Badal was granted interim bail by the Punjab and Haryana High Court on Monday in connection with alleged irregularities in the purchase of a property in Bathinda. The minister had moved the High Court after a Bathinda court rejected his anticipatory bail plea on October 4.

A bench of Justice Vikas Bahl granted interim bail to Badal, his counsel Arshdeep Singh Cheema said. A notice has been sent to the Punjab government sought reply and Badal has been asked to join the probe. 

Badal and five others were booked by the Punjab Vigilance bureau in connection with the case under Prevention of Corruption Act, India Penal Code, and Information Technology Act on September 24. 

An arrest warrant had earlier been issued by the court in Bathinda against Badal.

Several teams of the bureau had conducted raids at various locations in Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand and Rajasthan but could not trace Badal.

The investigation was launched into the matter on the basis of a complaint made by former MLA Sarup Chand Singla in 2021 where he alleged irregularities in the purchase of the property at a prime location in Bathinda.

A former Shiromani Akali Dal member, BJP leader Singla levelled allegations against Badal saying that during his term as minister the previous BJP dispensation had abused his position to convert two commercial plots into a residential plot for himself.

During the investigation it was found the BJP leader allegedly abused his position to purchase two plots measuring 1,560 square yards in Model Town phase-1 Bathinda, thereby causing a financial loss of lakhs of rupees to the state exchequer, according to the vigilance bureau. 

It was also found that Badal allegedly colluded with the officials of the Bathinda Development Authority and misled the general public during the bidding of plots in 2021. To prevent public participation in the bidding process, fake maps were uploaded, the bureau alleged. 

(With inputs from PTI)