Patiala
A local court on Thursday dismissed the anticipatory bail plea of former chief minister Captain Amarinder Singh’s ex-adviser Bharat Inder Singh Chahal, who is accused of acquiring assets disproportionate to his known sources of income.
Chahal has failed to appear before the Punjab vigilance bureau (VB), which is probing the case, despite several summons.
Opposing the plea in the court of additional district sessions judge Muneesh Arora, deputy superintendent of police (VB) Satpal Sharma submitted that an inquiry has been initiated against Chahal and he was not joining the probe date despite several notices. No case has been registered against Chahal to date.
Chahal’s counsel cited his ill-health as he pleaded for the pre-arrest bail. After hearing both the sides and going through the record produced by VB listing unaccounted properties of Chahal, the court dismissed the petition.
The VB had in December last year issued a lookout circular (LOC) against Chahal so that he can’t flee from India.
The VB visited Chahal’s Alcazar marriage palace on the Patiala-Sirhind road in January to ascertain the value the property. The probe agency has also taken measurement of a shopping complex owned by Chahal on Nabha road near the mini-secretariat.
{{/usCountry}}The VB visited Chahal’s Alcazar marriage palace on the Patiala-Sirhind road in January to ascertain the value the property. The probe agency has also taken measurement of a shopping complex owned by Chahal on Nabha road near the mini-secretariat.
{{/usCountry}}The VB also assessed nine acres on Nabha road which Chahal had purchased in 2018. A team of officials have been deputed to check various benami deals, which include agriculture land and commercial properties in Mohali, New Chandigarh and other areas.
The VB team is ascertaining the value of the properties that Chahal had allegedly amassed through unfair means while he was adviser to the then CM from 2017 to 2021, according to the VB.
In 2007, Chahal was booked for corruption during the Shiromani Akali Dal-BJP rule and faced a probe by the VB. In 2016, he was acquitted in the case as all 77 government witnesses turned hostile.
Chahal joined the BJP along with Amarinder in July last year.