Punjab Vigilance Bureau books Manpreet Badal, 5 others in Bathinda land-buying case
Chandigarh, September 25: The Punjab Vigilance Bureau has filed a case against former state finance minister Manpreet Badal and five others regarding alleged irregularities in a property purchase in Bathinda, as confirmed by a senior official on Monday.
The individuals booked in the case, registered on Sunday night, include Manpreet Badal, who is now associated with the BJP, and former Bathinda municipal corporation commissioner Bikramjit Shergill. The other four individuals named in the case are Rajiv Kumar, Amandeep Singh, Vikas Arora, and Pankaj.
Rajiv Kumar and Amandeep Singh have already been arrested in connection with the case. The Punjab Vigilance Bureau initiated the investigation following a complaint filed in 2021 by former MLA Sarup Chand Singla. Singla alleged irregularities in the acquisition of a property in a prime location in Bathinda.
BJP leader Sarup Chand Singla, who previously belonged to the Shiromani Akali Dal, accused Manpreet Badal, during his tenure as a minister in the previous Congress government, of using his influence to convert commercial plots into a residential plot for personal gain.
The case has been registered under Sections 420 (cheating) and 468 (forgery) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and the Prevention of Corruption Act. During the investigation, Manpreet Badal was questioned in July. Recently, he filed a pre-arrest bail application in a Bathinda court, and the hearing is scheduled for September 26. Manpreet Badal switched from the Congress to the BJP in January.
- With inputs from agencies
