M A I N   N E W S

Warrants to search Badal’s properties
Tribune News Service

SAS Nagar, June 27
A Kharar court today allowed the Punjab Vigilance Bureau to conduct searches of 16 properties owned by former Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal and his family in India. These properties include Mr Badal’s ancestral house at Badal village, the controversial Orbit Resorts in Gurgaon and various residential and commercial properties in Punjab, Haryana, Chandigarh and New Delhi, including petrol stations and poultry farms.

Thirteen search warrants for these properties were issued to the Vigilance after its application for the same was allowed by Duty Magistrate Harinder Sidhu at Kharar this evening.

Properties for which search warrants have been taken include H No. 50, Sector 2, Chandigarh, Bank Building at Killianwala village (Bathinda), petrol station at Badal village, petrol station at Killianwala village, SCO 54 and 55, Sector 9, Chandigarh, Dabwali Workshop (Motors), Dabwali, flat No 501 Punjabi Bagh, New Delhi, Badal farmhouse at Balasar village, Sirsa, poultry farm at Palanpur village, Ropar, flat No 23, Punjab Bagh, Khamba Road, New Delhi, Orbit Resorts Pvt Ltd Gurgaon, H No. 12, Safdarganj Road, New Delhi, ancestral residential house at Badal, H No. 30, Sector 9, Chandigarh, and H No. 265, Sector 9, Chandigarh.

A case under Sections 420, 467, 468, 471 and 120-B, IPC, and Sections 13 (1) (D) (E) read with Section 13 (2) of the Prevention of Corruption Act was registered against the former Chief Minister and seven others, including his wife Surinder Kaur, son Sukhbir and a former Union Minister on Tuesday here.

Vigilance sources said the others named in the FIR were Mr Badal’s former OSD Hardeep Singh, his NRI nephew Narottam Singh Dhillon, Wimpy’s Chairman Kanwaljit Singh Sidhu, Ashish Kapoor, believed to be close to Sidhu and Krishan Kumar, personal assistant of Mr Sukhbir Badal.

In an appeal moved by the public prosecutor, Vigilance DSP Malkit Singh and inspector Jagdish Singh had submitted that it had been learnt that incriminating documents and black money was stored in these places. The Magistrate directed that a compliance report of the search warrants should be submitted to the court by July 20.

Search will help nail lies: Badal
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, June 27
Reacting to reports of search warrants on his premises, the SAD President, Mr Parkash Singh Badal, said late this evening that “the doors of his house, were open twenty-four hours to anyone wanting to do any kind of reality check.” He said “my public life for over half a century now has been like an open book before the people of Punjab and the country”.

In fact, he said he welcomed the government’s move in securing search warrants against him as this would help him and his party in nailing the government’s lies and eliminating all possible excuses that Mr Amarinder Singh might have to offer later for his failure to prove any of the wild allegations levelled by him.”

Mr Badal said he had got information that the Vigilance Bureau got warrants to search 13 places, including his houses in Chandigarh, Badal and Balasar villages and New Delhi. In fact, there were reports that bureau teams, accompanied by certain officers of the Punjab Police, have left for various places to implement the search warrants.

Mr Badal, who was in New Delhi this morning, has asked his confidants to be present at his other premises to check any “ possible mischief” by raiding parties. He has also appealed to the media to be present at the time of search to report the facts.

Mr Badal said he was more keen than the government to have everything brought before the people through a thorough investigation by courts. This, he said, was why he had shown the courage to ask Capt Amarinder Singh to face a defamation suit in a court of law.

“These searches will further strengthen our case against him. Even at this juncture, I challenge the Chief Minister to muster moral courage to stake his political future at stake on the outcome of his drive against the SAD and its leaders. I do not know why he is so shy about accepting my offer about putting our career at stake on what we loudly proclaim. Why not have the courage of your convictions? ” he asked Capt Amarinder Singh.

The Akali leader, however, regretted that the motives and the malice behind the Chief Minister’s move could set off unhealthy precedents for future generations.”