Industrial land for real estate: HC grants bail to three PSIEC officials

Those who have been given bail are Surinder Pal Singh (PSIEC former executive director), Ashima Aggarwal, ATP (planning), and Ankur Chaudhary (estate officer)

The Punjab and Haryana high court has granted interim bail to three officials of Punjab Small Industries Export Corporation (PSIEC) accused in the case of an alleged illegal transfer of an industrial plot to a real estate company, for the setting up of a township in Phase-9 Industrial area.

Supreme Court last week had stayed further proceedings in the January 5 FIR and asked petitioners to approach the high court with their plea of shifting the probe from the Punjab police to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).

Those who have been given bail are Surinder Pal Singh (PSIEC former executive director), Ashima Aggarwal, ATP (planning), and Ankur Chaudhary (estate officer).

Supreme Court last week had stayed further proceedings in the January 5 FIR and asked petitioners to approach the high court with their plea of shifting the probe from the Punjab police to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) . The apex court had also directed that all further proceedings arising out of and emanating from the FIR in question as well as coercive actions would remain stayed for four weeks. However, the extension of the interim relief or any other relief, it had said would be decided by the high court. Former industries minister Sunder Sham Arora, an IAS officer and 10 other officials have been named as accused in the case wherein allegations are of “wrong bifurcation” of a 25-acre plot in Industrial Focal Point, Mohali, to allegedly benefit realty firm, ‘Gulmohar Township Private Limited’, causing a huge loss to the state exchequer. The vigilance bureau registered FIR on January 5.