SC dismisses Badal's review petition

New Delhi, Feb 20 (UNI) In a major setback to Shiromani Akali Dal chief Parkash Singh Badal, the Supreme Court today dismissed a review petition filed by the former Punjab Chief Minister and his son Sukhbir Singh Badal seeking the review of the apex court judgement holding that protection of provisions for sanctions is not available to public servants, both politicians and bureaucrats, facing allegations of corruption.

A Bench comprising Justice Arijit Pasayat and Justice S H Kaparia dismissed the petition holding that there was no merit in the present review petition.

It may be noted here that in December 2006, the Supreme Court had dismissed the petitions of several leading politicians, including Mr Badal, former Kerala Chief Minister K Karunakaran, Railway Minister Lalu Prasad , Punjab Deputy Chief Minister Rajinder Kaur Bhattal and several former ministers who had challenged their trials in corruption cases on the grounds that since proper sanctions had not been obtained to prosecute themand the trials against them were illegal and the proceedings deserved to be quashed.

The apex court in a landmark judgement held that corruption cannot have any nexus with the official discharge of duty by a public servant and protection was available only to the honest public servant against undue harassment by those adversely afffected by their honest and upright approach towards duty.

Mr Badal and his son are facing prosecution for amasssing huge assets allegedly through corrupt means by abusing their official status as chief minister of the state and assets aquired by them are allegedly well beyond their known sources of income.

The Supreme Court by its decision has cleared the decks for their prosecution under the Prevention of Corruption Act.

UNI