Chandigarh, June 30: Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh today denied charges that action against his predecessor Parkash Singh Badal in an alleged corruption case, including securing of search warrants last week, was timed with an eye on yesterday's Panchayat elections. "The timing was a mere coincidence as the investigations against Badal and his family members were on for the past 16 months," Singh told reporters here.
The chief minister said he would request the chief justice of the Punjab High Court to designate a special judge so that the corruption case against Badal and other similar cases could be tried speedily on a day-to-day basis. He said allegations of money laundering against Badal and others were also being investigated but added that the case would not be handed over to the enforcement directorate as it would delay things.
"We want early justice in the case and the vigilance bureau is capable of presenting a foolproof case in the court," he added. Singh charged Badal with having indulged in corruption in appointments, money laundering and fictitious transactions during his tenure as chief minister.
He said he had directed the vigilance bureau not to arrest Badal unless directed by a court and to adopt normal procedures against his wife Surinder Kaur, son Sukhbir, a former Union minister, and others.
"The state has a clear case of corruption against Badal which will be put before a court which will decide whether he is corrupt or not. I am confident our investigations will stand trial in the court," he said. Bureau Report