Former Punjab CM Parkash Singh Badal gets bail in dual constitution case against his party

Hoshiarpur: A court here on Thursday granted bail to former Punjab chief minister and SAD patriarch Parkash Singh Badal in a dual constitution case that was filed against his party in 2009.

The court of Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate (ACJM) Rupinder Singh granted bail to Badal (94) in the case wherein the complainant had accused the SAD of submitting two different constitutions -- one with the Gurdwara Election Commission and the second with the Election Commission of India (ECI) to seek recognition as a political party.

Hitesh Puri, lawyer for social activist and complainant Balwant Singh Khera, said that Badal had furnished his surety bonds/bail bonds in the local trial court of ACJM to the tune of Rs 1 lakh in pursuance of the interim bail order of Wednesday passed by the court of J P S Khurmi, Additional Sessions Judge, Hoshiarpur. Badal on Thursday appeared in the trial court of ACJM.

In October last year, a court here had granted interim bail to Shiromani Akali Dal chief Sukhbir Singh Badal in the same case involving the allegation that his party had submitted a false undertaking to the poll panel to seek recognition for his party.

The complainant had alleged that the SAD had given a false undertaking to the ECI that it had amended its constitution to incorporate the principles of socialism and secularism whereas it continued its activities as a panthic party and openly participated in Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee elections.