Corruption case registered against former Punjab Minister

Amritsar, Aug 19 (UNI) The Punjab Vigilance Bureau (VB) today registerd a corruption case against former minister and senior Congress leader, Chaudhry Jagjit Singh and former Vidhan Sabha Deputy Speaker, Darbari Lal and others.

The case has been registered at the VB police station here under sections 420 and 120-B of the IPC and various sections of the Prevention of Corruption Act, VB SSP Sukhdev Singh confirmed.

Besides, Chaudhry Jagjit Singh and Darbari Lal, others named in the case are the former Deputy Speaker's family members and four others---Gurcharan Singh, XEN with the Municipal Corporation at Patiala, Tejinder Bawa, Tehal Inder Singh and Ajay Kumar.

The case was registered on an inquiry report into the construction of a multi storey building on a reserved 'open belt or green space' measuring 633 square yards near Kitchlu Chowk on Court Road here. The inquiry report was submitted by Mr Samir Kumar, Director and Special Secretary, Local Bodies to the VB.

The inquiry into the matter was ordered by Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal following the submission of a complaint to him by Naresh Kumar, a former BJP member of the Amritsar MC. The complainant had stated that the construction of the building was in complete violation of the Punjab and Haryana High Court orders prohibiting any construction on this space which was to be preserved as a green belt.

The inquiry report observed that Chaudhry Jagjit Singh, as Local Bodies Minister in 2005 had 'misused his office and position' to clear the building proposal submitted through the Amritsar MC by Darbari Lal, who was then the assembly Deputy Speaker.

Mr Sukhdev Singh when contacted said that the VB had asked for all documents related to the case and thereeafter "we will proceed further". Chaudhry Jagjit Singh is facing similar charges in the infamous mutli crore Ludhiana City Centre scam in which former chief minister Capt Amarinder Singh's name figures alongwith his son and son-in-law.

UNI XC-HS JS1824