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SC returns Bhattal case records
Our Legal Correspondent

New Delhi, September 22
To ensure speedy disposal of a corruption case against Punjab Rural Development and Panchayat Minister Rajinder Kaur Bhattal by a Special Court at Chandigarh, the Supreme Court has sent the entire original records of the case back to it.

The records were sent following a request made to this effect by the Chandigarh District and Sessions Court to the apex court in a letter sent on September 20.

The Supreme Court in its order on August 18 had directed the Special Court to dispose of the case expeditiously on the basis of its direction issued on April 21.

The apex court said the original records, if required for the adjudication of Bhattal’s petition pending before it, be sent to it only after the disposal of the case by the trial court.

A Bench headed by Mr Justice M. B. Shah in an interim order issued on April 21, had allowed the complainant in the case to assist the prosecution in pointing out the “deficiencies”, if any, in its proceedings. Bhattal had moved the Supreme Court against an order of the Punjab and Haryana High Court, allowing complainant Balwant Singh Dhillon to assist the prosecution.