M A I N   N E W S

Internet search to frame Badal, relatives?
Prabhjot Singh
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, August 31
Has the Punjab Vigilance Bureau taken to internet investigation to locate “properties — both commercial and residential — besides businesses” owned by the former Chief Minister and Leader of the Opposition, Mr Parkash Singh Badal, to substantiate the charge of his having amassed immovable assets of more than Rs 3,300 crore?

Though the Congress party came out with a charge sheet against Mr Badal on the eve of the Assembly elections in February this year, yet the Vigilance Bureau appears to be handicapped for want of “authentic information” about the “properties, if any, owned by Mr Badal, his wife, Mrs Surinder Kaur, and son, Mr Sukhbir Singh, abroad.”

Mr Badal has not only categorically denied that he owns even “an inch of land” abroad , but also offered to take the “hardest punishment besides quitting politics forever” in case the charge is proved.

The government , however, insists that the assets of the Badal family may be even more than Rs 3,300 crore as claimed in the Congress charge sheet.

The claims and counter claims by the Punjab Chief Minister, Capt Amarinder Singh, and the Leader of the Opposition, Mr Badal, notwithstanding, the vigilance bureau has an uphill task of acquiring “credible evidence” before it can lay its hands upon the former Chief Minister.

The registration of a case against Mr Hardeep Singh Bamra, a former OSD to Mr Badal, was only an indication of things to come. In fact, Mr Badal told mediamen today at a press conference that he was anticipating his arrest a long time back and was “ready” for it.

The limited infrastructure and expertise in information technology and internet investigations notwithstanding, the bureau appears to have gone in a big way using US-based internet search agencies that provide registered information about businesses, public records, properties — both residential and commercial — against a nominal payment.

For example, one of the search agencies being reportedly used by vigilance bureau is LexisNexis which claims to have the largest collection of public records , with 1.9 billion documents, and locates legal materials that help target a legal issue, identify an appropriate source and formulate further search.

The only requirement is that the information seeker must have his facts right and zero down his search to a specified area. By zeroing down its search initially to New York, the bureau is reportedly flooded with details of all such properties which are owned by any “Surinder Kaur”, “Sukhbir Singh” or “Parkash Singh”.

The search agencies, on payment, also provide information about the date of incorporation, country of principal office, executive office address, Chair of the Board, stock, number of shares, stock type and value per share, history of the company, date transaction microfilm etc.

The search in one case for a construction company, named J. Danny Construction Inc, revealed that the Chair of the Board is one Surinder Kaur of Yonkers, NY, and the company was incorporated on September 27, 1996. The main office of the company is in Westchester. Yet another company of which the Chair of the Board is Surinder Kaur, the bureau found was Narket Cab Corp which was incorporated only on March 15, 2000.

The sources reveal that so far the bureau has not been able to pin point any business, pub, night club, motel, inn or property which may belong to Mr Badal or any member of his family though the search has thrown up a big list of persons with same names owning such properties.

Each specific search costs a US dollar which is to be generally remitted through a credit card transaction. Since it involves foreign exchange, prior sanction of the government may be necessary to hire or get assistance from a private foreign agency.