Mohali Court acquits Badal family in disproportionate assets case

MOHALI - A local court in Mohali on Friday acquitted Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal along with his wife Surinder Kaur, son and Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir and eight others in a seven-year-old corruption and disproportionate assets case.

The case was filed against them during the rule of former Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh.

Additional District and Sessions Judge R K Aggarwal acquitted eleven of the 15 accused, saying no incriminating evidence against any of the accused was available following, which they could be questioned under section 313 (power to examine the accused) of the Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC).

The court also ordered that perjury proceedings be initiated against two senior IPS officers Surinder Pal Singh and B K Uppal, who were the Investigating Officer and the Supervisory Officer of the case in which the charge sheet was filed on November 22, 2003 against the 15 accused.

Four of the accused Kanwaljit Singh Sidhu, Hardeep Singh, Pinky Grover and Krishan Kumar were declared Proclaimed Offenders (POs).

The Judge also ordered all the accused to furnish personal bonds of Rs 50,000 each and a surety bond of the like amount before the court so that in case any aggrieved party approaches the higher court to challenge this judgment, the accused persons will produce themselves before that higher court. (ANI)