Former Punjab finance minister Manpreet Badal did not appear before the Vigilance Bureau (VB) in Bathinda for questioning in a case related to plot allotment on Monday. He cited back pain as the reason for his absence and stated that he had been advised to undergo bed rest.
Manpreet Badal had obtained a stay on his potential arrest from the Punjab and Haryana High Court in a case involving cheating and forgery on October 16. Despite this, the investigative agency summoned him to Bathinda on Monday. However, he requested a 10-day exemption from personal appearance due to medical reasons.
In a letter to the VB, he said, “I’m suffering from lower back pain, and on October 18, I underwent a medical checkup at the Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research, Chandigarh. The doctors have advised me to observe bed rest for seven days, making it impossible for me to travel for the investigation. If necessary, conducting the inquiry against medical advice would be unwise.” Manpreet also offered his willingness to cooperate with the investigation in Chandigarh if the VB could send a representative to his residence.
However, Manpreet’s lawyer, Sukhdeep Singh Bhinder, complied with the court’s directive and submitted his original passport to the VB. Despite Manpreet’s request for the inquiry to be held in Chandigarh, the VB decided to summon him once again in Bathinda, where the case has been registered. Manpreet Badal is facing charges under the Prevention of Corruption Act, as well as Sections 420 (cheating), 409 (criminal breach of trust by a public servant), 467 (forgery of a valuable security document), and 120-B (criminal conspiracy) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) in the case.
The VB’s investigation alleges that Manpreet colluded with officials from the Bathinda Development Authority (BDA) and his associates to acquire two residential plots through the alleged abuse of his ministerial position and forgery.
