Chandigarh, November 29
The Punjab Vigilance Bureau today filed a challan against Mrs Rajinder Kaur Bhattal in the Court of UT District and Sessions Judge, H.S Bhalla. Mr Bhalla marked the case in the court of UT Additional and Sessions Judge, Mr Balbir Singh, who has issued notice to Mrs Bhattal for December 21.
The case against Mrs Bhattal, who is a Cabinet Minister in Capt Amarinder Singh’s Government, pertains to alleged corruption and embezzlement of Rs 20 lakh from the Chief Minister’s Relief Fund in 1996.
In the application, moved by public prosecutor for the presentation of challan it has been prayed that “after the presentation of the challan the accused was summoned and on consideration of the matter the Special Judge, Bathinda, had observed that his court had no territorial jurisdiction to entertain the said matter, as the matter pertained to territorial jurisdiction at Chandigarh”.
Hence, while returning the challan the Special Judge at Bathinda directed the prosecution to present the same before the competent court. The public prosecutor has prayed the court here that challan may be taken on record and further proceedings in the matter be initiated as per law.
Mrs Bhattal, who had got a reprieve from the Bathinda court, is now again faced with a legal battle. She is at present Minister of Rural Development and Panchayats besides being Minister of Agriculture. In fact, it may be mentioned that differences between her and Capt Amarinder Singh on this case may further create a political crisis in the state as Mrs Bhattal has often alleged that the case was politically motivated.
Not only Mrs Bhattal is facing this case but even her brother, Mr Kuldip Bhattal, has got anticipatory bail from a Sangrur court apprehending arrest in a separate case. The Bhattal family alleges that the Chief Minister was bent upon fixing them.
The challan against Mrs Bhattal was filed by Mr Baljinder Singh, SP, Vigilance Bureau, Bathinda, through the public prosecutor. The FIR in this case was registered against Mrs Bhattal on May 22 last year. The case was registered on the complaint of Mr Balwant Singh Dhillon, advocate, Senior Vice-President of the Lawyers for Human Rights, alleging that she misappropriated Rs 20 lakh after withdrawing the amount from the Chief Minister’s Relief Fund in December, 1996, when she was the Punjab Chief Minister.
