SC stays Punjab HC order on Ajnala case

New Delhi, July 6: The Supreme Court today stayed the Punjab and Haryana High Court order directing that criminal case against Shiromani Akali Dal MP Rattan Singh Ajnala, shall continue but the final judgement shall not be pronounced.

A bench comprising Justices K G Balakrishnan and D K Jain also issued notices to the Punjab government, chief director Vigilance, Superintendent of Police, Vigilance Bureau, Aritsar.

Mr Ajnala is facing corruption charges for misusing his position as ex-minister of Punjab under section 13 of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988.

According to the petitioner, he resigned as the MLA after he was elected as an MP from Punjab during the 2004 general elections. He contended that the prosecution must have obtained sanction from Lok Sabha Speaker before registering a case against him as parliamentarians cannot be prosecuted without valid sanction from the Speaker.

Mr Ajnala alleged that the attitude of state vigilance department has been biased as he has been raising voice against the malfunctioning and partisan attitude of the department.

He along with seven other MLAs of the Shiromani Akali Dal had filed two writ petitions in Haryana Court against the Vigilance department.

The Vigilance Department has registered FIRs against Punjab Finance Minister Lal Singh.

FIRs have also been registered against Balmukand Sharma, Shamsher Singh Dullo, Lakhmir Singh Randhawa. They have been indicted by the Punjab Lokpal for misconduct.

Lokpal has also recommended appropriate legal action against them.

UNI