Chandigarh, January 17
Former Punjab Public Service Commission (PPSC) Chairman Ravinder Pal Singh Sidhu may be released from Patiala jail tomorrow after spending about 22 months in jail. His release has become possible after a Chandigarh court today granted him bail in the case registered against him by the UT police under the Arms Act.
He has already been given bail in other cases registered against him by the Punjab Vigilance Bureau. Sidhu is facing three cases in connection with the “money for jobs scam”. He was earlier granted bail by the Supreme Court on January 12 with regard to the corruption cases.
A local court had earlier absolved Sidhu in a case of Excise Act registered against him by the UT police on the complaint of the Punjab Vigilance Bureau.
Today he was granted bail by the UT Additional District and Sessions Judge, Mr Balbir Singh, in the case under the Arms Act. He has been asked to furnish a bail bond of Rs 50,000 and two sureties of like amount by two residents of the city having immovable properties.
The UT police had registered a case under the Arms Act against Sidhu after the Punjab Vigilance Bureau lodged a complaint against him. In its complaint the Bureau claimed it recovered 250 rounds of .12 bore gun and 225 rounds of Springfield rifle from Sidhu’s house in Sector 39.
Claiming that Sidhu was falsely implicated in the case, his counsel argued that Sidhu had already been granted bail by the Supreme Court in the other cases and was lodged in jail for almost two years. He argued that the maximum conviction in the case (Arms Act) is three years and minimum one year.
He argued that Sidhu had already been discharged in a case registered against him under the Excise Act by the Vigilance Department, Punjab.
