Ex-Haryana minister gets 3 year jail term for fraud

Jind, Apr 26 (UNI) A local court today awarded former Haryana minister Brijmohan Singla a three-year jail term and fine of Rs 10,000, holding him guilty in a fraud case.

The additional district and sessions judge, J S Jangda had convicted Singla on Tuesday in the case involving fraud, cheating and corruption charges.

Hundreds of supporters of Singla, who had gathered in and outside the court however, felt somewhat relieved as Mr Jangda granted Singla bail today, giving him the chance to appeal in the High Court.

According to prosecution, a local couple Saroj and Sudesh Kumar Gupta had complained to the Vigilance Bureau (VB) charging Singla of fraud, corruption and misuse of his political power.

Based on the VB probe, a case was slapped in the local court against Singla on August 14, 2002. The Gupta couple, in their police complaint, had alleged that a local trader Nandlal Garg had absconded in January, 2006 with over Rs one crore of 80-odd people, including themselves.

He was however, nabbed about a month later and presented before the panchayat, which, in presence of the minister, directed that the owed money be paid by the aution of Garg's assests, including a bungalow, shop and godown.

However, the couple alleged that Singla used his influence in getting Garg's properties transferred in the name of people close to him and pocketed the money, leaving the innocent victims in the lurch. He also gave shelter to Garg, who is now declared ''absconding'' as a co-accused in the case by the court, the complainants said.

UNI