Chahal walks out of prison after after two months

Patiala, Aug 30 (UNI) After over two and half months, B I S Chahal, the high profile media advisor to former chief minister Capt Amarinder Singh tasted freedom as he walked out of the central jail here this evening.

His freedom came after he was granted bail by a local Sessions Court in the disproportionate assets case earlier in the day.

Additional Session Judge Bhupinder Singh while granting bail, directed Chahal to furnish a personel bond of Rs five lakh and suriety of similar amount.

Chahal had been behind bars since June 10, the day he was arrested by the Punjab Police at Ludhiana in an attempt to murder case filed by a resident of Daad village. Chahal had left for the UK soon after the Congress was voted out of power in the February assembly polls and had returned just a few days before his arrest.

The Court had concluded arguments in the disproportionate assets case yesterday evening and the Additional Sessions Judge had reserved his decision for today.

Chahal's counsel N P S Waraich and J P S Sarao had during arguments contented that the case was registered by the Vigilance Bureau on the basis of income tax returns by inflating prices of properties shown in the returns. "No further property in Chahal's name or benami property was found, so Chahal should be granted bail", the defence coumsel had argued.

The Vigilance Bureau had registered the case against Chahal for having disproportionate assets. Chahal had already been granted bail in two other cases of forgery and cheating registered by the local police.

Chahal was also granted bail in the attempt to murder case by the Punjab and Haryana High Court a few days back. The High Court had also stayed the arrest of Chahal in the multi crore Ludhiana City Centre scam in which Capt Singh alongwith his son and others is an accused.

Talking to mediapersons after his release, Chahal alleged that the cases against him were politically motivated. He alleged that he has been tortured and mistreated during his detention period at the Patiala and Ludhiana jails.

Later he alongwith his lawyers left for Chandigarh. The Punjab Congress had refused to comment on Chahal's arrest, though his mentor and former chief minister Capt Amarinder Singh had vowed to stand by his media advisor who was granted the minister of state rank when Capt Singh was in power.

UNI