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SC issues notice to Punjab government
The Supreme Court today issued a notice to the Punjab government on a petition filed by former Chief Minister Amarinder Singh challenging his expulsion from the state assembly.
The Supreme Court on Friday issued a notice to the Punjab government on a petition filed by former Chief Minister Amarinder Singh challenging his expulsion from the state assembly.
The apex court also issued a notice to Chief Minister Prakash Singh Badal in his personal capacity.
A bench headed by Justice S B Sinha sought the assistance of the attorney general and referred the matter to a larger three-judge bench saying that an important question of law was involved in it.
The former chief minister had questioned the assembly's power to expel a member.
Former chief minister Amarinder Singh and others were expelled from the House after a resolution was passed on the basis of the report of the special committee appointed by the Punjab assembly in the Amritsar land scam.
The Special committee in its report had held guilty Amarinder and two other Congress leaders Jagjit Singh Chaudhary and Jugal Kishore Sharma in the scam.
Amarinder Singh was expelled for the remaining term of the 13th Assembly Sabha and his seat was declared as vacant.
The resolution had said that the vigilance department will hold investigations and submit its report within two months.
The resolution had also said that the Punjab government will file an FIR relating to the scam.
The 66-year-old Congress leader, who represents Patiala constituency, was indicted by a special committee of the Assembly for alleged irregularities in exempting 32.10 acres of land for private development in Amritsar during his tenure as chief minister.
