Chandigarh/SAS Nagar, June 11
Zeroing in on former Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal and other members of his family, the Punjab Vigilance Bureau today arrested Narottam Singh Dhillon, a cousion of Mr Sukhbir Badal, from an apartment in Shimla.
In a midnight swoop, certain top officers of the bureau and the Punjab police picked up Narottam Singh (55) from Dilshad Enclave, Barari, Shimla. Narottam Singh, an NRI, lives in Sainik Farms, Hauz Khas, New Delhi, and is said to have a house and large landholdings in Badal village.
Sources said Mr S. Chattopadhyaya, DIG, Faridkot range; and Mr S.P. Singh, SP, Vigilance, led the team Mr Chattopadhyaya had earlier visited the USA, reportedly to gather information about "wealth and property" of the Badals there.
From Shimla, Narottam Singh was brought to the phase 8 police station in SAS Nagar this afternoon where he is being detained. Police officials told TNS that an investigating officer of the Vigilance Bureau had accompanied Narottam Singh to the police station where a daily diary report (DDR) entry was made recording his arrest. Narotam Singh has been arrested under the Prevention of Corruption Act and 120-B of the IPC. Till the filing of this report, Narotam Singh was being interrogated by the DIG (Vigilance), Mr K.S. Pannu; and the DIG (Vigilance), Mr B.K. Uppal.
During the day, a warrant officer appointed by the Punjab and Haryana High Court, visited the police station on a habeas corpus petition filed by a close relative of Narottam Singh. The officer returned after noting his findings in the police station.
Narottam Singh is a co-accused in the ongoing case against Hardip Singh, OSD to former Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal. Mr Hardip Singh was recently a proclaimed offender in the same case. An
FIR against the two was registered by the bureau on August 29, 2002.
A top officer of the Vigilance Bureau, who is closely associated with the case, told The Tribune the bureau had information that Hardip Singh’s “ ill-gotten” money was being allegedly retained by Narottam Singh. He had also allegedly been harbouring Hardip Singh and concealing his whereabouts, the bureau added. The bureau wanted to interrogate Narotam Singh in this connection and also appeared keen on questioning a senior Akali leader, Mr Kiran Bir Kang, who is said to be very close to the Badals, in this case.
However, informed sources said that the bureau actually wanted to interrogate Narottam Singh with regard to the financing of Orbit
Resorts, Gurgaon, owned by the Badal family. The sources said Narottam Singh had been visiting India off and on and given a huge sum to the Badal family for Orbit Resorts. Although, It was given through legal channels, the bureau seems to be of the view that the money belonged to the Badals and it had only been “ recycled” through Narottam Singh.
Police sources said that though Narottam Singh had been arrested in connection with a one-year-old case pertaining to Hardip Singh, a fresh case is expected to be registered against Narottam Singh.
Meanwhile, Narottam Singh’s wife and other members of the family waiting outside the phase 8 police station, said the charges against Narottam Singh were fabricated. Claiming that Narottam Singh was just a simple agriculturist holding no political position, they stated the way police and vigilance officers picked him up was nothing short of a “ highway robbery”.
Mr Bubby Badal, another cousin of Mr Sukhbir Badal, who accompanied the family to the police station, said the Chief Minister wanted to demolish the credibility of the Badal family and the arrest of Narottam Singh was just the first shot in this direction.
Earlier in the day, Mr Justice S.S. Grewal of the Punjab and Haryana High Court, acting on a habeas corpus petition for producing Narottam Singh, directed the appointment of a warrant officer.
Issuing the directions on the petition filed by Narottam Singh’s nephew, Parminder Singh, Mr Justice Grewal also directed the production of the alleged detainee in the court on Thursday if he was found in illegal custody. The Judge further issued notice of motion on the petition filed against the state of Punjab and the Director-General of Police.
Parminder Singh of Baring Khera village near Malout, had claimed that Narottam Singh was “being detained for illegal and mala fide reasons” with “the sole motive of involving Badal and his family in some false case”.
The petitioner added the “detainee had been picked up in a forcible manner with a view to
keeping him in illegal detention”. The purpose behind detaining him was that the Punjab police “wanted to threaten and coerce him into making false statements against Badal and his family”.
Counsel for the petitioner contended that the detainee has never been involved in any criminal case. Apart from his relationship with Badal, the detainee was not involved in any political activity.
