Chandigarh, April 13
Did the Punjab Vigilance Bureau register a case under the Prevention of Corruption Act against former Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal in August last year?
“Yes” if a letter written by the bureau to a local branch of a nationalised bank is to be believed. The branch has been directed to produce records pertaining to the account of Orbit Resorts, a property owned by the Badal family, in a case of “possessing assets disproportionate to known sources of income” of Mr Parkash Singh Badal and members of his family. The letter also mentions FIR No 22 registered on August 29, 2002, under Sections 13(1) (b) and 13 (2) of the Prevention of Corruption Act.
Though bank officials had initially submitted certain details about the accounts of Orbit Resorts to the Vigilance Bureau, they decided to consult their counsel when they got this latest communication mentioning the FIR number and the date of its registration.
Interestingly, FIR No 22 of August 29, 2002, stands registered against Mr Hardeep Singh, a former OSD to Mr Parkash Singh Badal.
Sources point out that since the accounts of Orbit Resorts or “assets disproportionate to known sources of income of Mr Parkash Singh Badal and members of his family” were not under investigation under the case mentioned in the communication, the bank may seek further clarification from the bureau before furnishing further details.
Vigilance Bureau investigators have reportedly obtained all records about Orbit Resorts from the Jalandhar office of the Registrar of Companies and Societies.
Meanwhile, Mr Harminder Singh, an uncle of Mr Hardeep Singh, appeared before the Vigilance Bureau a few days ago and furnished notarised statements of the money he had gifted to Mr Hardeep Singh. Two of the three gifts made by him were before 1997 and the third after 1997.
Another uncle of Mr Hardeep Singh, who is very old and could not travel to India, also sent his notarised statement about the money gifted by him to Mr Hardeep Singh.
Vigilance Bureau
officials
