SC defers hearing in corruption cases against Badal

New Delhi, Apr 20: The Supreme Court today did not entertain a plea of the Punjab government for vacating the stay granted against the trial court proceedings pending against former Punjab chief minister Parkash Singh Badal in a corruption case against him at Ropar.

A bench comprising Justices K G Balakrishnan, C K Thakkar and P K Balasubramanian, deferred till July 18 the hearing on a batch of appeals filed by various political leaders including Union Railway Minister Lalu Prasad, former Kerala chief minister K Karunakaran and Mr Badal challenging their trials in corruption cases on the question of improper sanction.

Other leaders in involved in corruption cases are Punjab deputy chief minister Rajinder Kaur Bhattal, two former ministers in the Badal government and a former Akali Dal legislator.

Punjab government counsel Rakesh Dwivedi requested the court to vacate the stay against the trial proceedings against Mr Badal in a case of disproportionate assets.

Senior counsel K K Venugopal, appearing for Mr Badal, however, questioned the legality of the entire procedure adopted for prosecution of client including, setting up of special court at Ropar for conducting the trial.

But the court did not pass any order on Punjab government plea for vacating interim stay here.

As per the provision under section 197 of the CrPC a public servant cannot be prosecuted without obtaining proper sanction from the state concerned.

UNI