Punjab And Haryana HC Grants Interim Bail To Former Punjab FM Manpreet Badal

The Punjab and Haryana High Court on Monday granted interim bail to former Punjab finance minister Manpreet Singh Badal in connection with alleged irregularities in the purchase of a property in Bathinda.

Badal moved the high court after a court in Bathinda dismiss his anticipatory bail plea on October 4.

His counsel Arshdeep Singh Cheema stated that the bench of Justice Vikas Bahl granted interim bail to Badal, who is now with the BJP.

The Punjab Vigilance bureau booked Badal and 5 others in connection with the case.

Earlier, an arrest warrant been issued by the court in Bathinda against Badal.

Several teams of the bureau conducted raids at various locations in Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand and Rajasthan but couldn’t trace Badal.

The vigilance bureau launched an investigation into the matter based on former MLA Sarup Chand Singla’s 2021 complaint alleging irregularities in the purchase of the property at a prime location in Bathinda.

BJP leader Singla, who was earlier with the Shiromani Akali Dal, alleged that Badal, as a minister in the previous Congress dispensation, abused his position to convert 2 commercial plots into a residential plot for himself.

A case had been registered under relevant sections of the IPC, including sections 420 (cheating) and 468 (forgery), and also under provisions of the Prevention of Corruption Act.

According to the vigilance bureau, it was found during the probe that Badal allegedly abused his position to purchase 2 plots measuring 1,560 square yards in Model Town phase-1 Bathinda, thereby causing a financial loss of lakhs of rupees to the state exchequer.

Furthermore, Badal allegedly colluded with the officials of the Bathinda Development Authority and misled the general public during the bidding of plots in 2021. Bureau alleged, fake maps were uploaded to prevent public participation in the bidding process.