Chandigarh, Aug 11: A local court today adjourned till August 21 the corruption case involving misappropriation of Rs 20 lakh by former chief minister Rajinder Kaur Bhattal. Additional District and Sessions Judge R S Baswana adjourned the case after Bhattal's counsel pleaded that they were to procure certain documents pertaining to the case. The complaint against Bhattal, who is now agriculture minister in the Amarinder Singh led congress government in the state, was lodged by a Bathinda-based advocate Balwant Singh Dhillon in May 2001. Dhillon had said that Bhattal misappropriated the funds during her stint as Chief Minister in early 1997. The case was disposed of by a Bathinda court for lack of jurisdiction last year before it was reopened here.

The counsel for the complainant P N Lekhi told reporters outside the court complex that Bhattal was trying to waste precious time of the court.

He said Bhattal filed a special leave petition in Supreme Court in April this year asking for stay in proceedings of the case and had submitted the relevant copies in the apex court, which she was now seeking to submit before the court here.

"Bhattal is trying to take court for a ride by wasting its precious time as she has already submitted the copies in the apex court. Now when the case comes up for hearing in the Supreme Court on August 18, we will be telling the court how she is trying to delay the procedures," Lekhi said.

Asked to give her version on the case which has assumed significance as it can have repercussions on her political career if charges are framed, Bhattal told reporters outside the court complex "I have nothing to say at the moment as this case is sub-judice".

Bureau Report