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New Delhi: On Tuesday, Punjab Police has issued a lookout circular against former Punjab Finance Minister and BJP leader Manpreet Singh Badal, accused in land allotment and corruption cases. Harpal Singh, Bathinda Vigilance Bureau SSP has confirmed that the lookout notice has been issued against Badal and teams were conducting raids to arrest him.
Police took this action considering the possibility of Badal’s departure abroad. A raid was conducted at his residence in Muktsar district on Monday. Rajiv Kumar and Amandeep Singh were arrested in the case.
A case has been registered by the Punjab Vigilance Department under several lines, including irregularities and corruption related to the purchase of property in Bathinda. Besides Manpreet, former Bathinda municipal corporation commissioner Bikramjit Shergill, Rajiv Kumar, Amandeep Singh, Vikas Arora and Pankaj were booked on Sunday night.
BJP leader and former MLA Sarup Chand Singh had in 2021 accused Badal of irregularities in the purchase of property in the vigilance department. Badal was the Finance Minister of Punjab from 2018 to 2021. It is alleged that Badal misused his ministerial position in the Congress government and converted commercial plots into residential plots.
In July, the vigilance department started questioning Badal in the case. Badal left the Congress in January and joined the BJP. The Vigilance Department has so far arrested 3 accused, Rajeev Kumar, Amandeep Singh and Vikas Arora, in the Badal related fraud case. He has been remanded in custody till September 28.
5 accused including Badal have been named in the case. He was not at his residence during the raid on Monday. 4 days ago he sought anticipatory bail from Bathinda Sessions Court. However, on Tuesday, he withdrew the petition.
