New Delhi, January 15
Former Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal is seeking a review of the Supreme Court judgement, rejecting his petition on the question of sanction for his prosecution in corruption cases K.K. Venugopal told the court today while arguing the case of state’s Deputy Chief Minister Rajinder Kaur Bhattal.
Senior advocate Venugopal, who is a counsel for both Badal and Bhattal in the apex court in the corruption cases against them, gave the hint of “re-opening” of the sanction issue in Badal case claiming that the proposition of law on the issue needed to be reconsidered.
Regarding the case against Bhattal, which was separated from a bunch of petitions by several politicians, including Badal, before the court heard
them, Venugopal sought quashing of the charges against her. He asserted that there was no ground for continuing with her prosecution in
the wake of some new facts coming to light.
He said she was charged with embezzlement of Rs 20 lakh from the CM’s relief fund in 1996 when she was the Chief Minister but after filing of the chargesheet by the state Vigilance Bureau, the receipts in the disbursement of the relief amount had been found in the records of the government and, therefore, no case was made out against her.
Even the Vigilance Bureau has filed an application before the Special Court to withdraw the case, but till the matter was decided by the apex court, the trial judge could not take any decision on the said application.
Vigilance Bureau’s counsel Sudhir Walia later confirmed to The Tribune that an application for withdrawal had been filed by the Public Prosecutor before the trial court.
A Bench of Mr Justice S B Sinha and Mr Justice Markandey Katju, which heard the matter, told Venugopal that if he intended to reopen the entire issue of sanction, decided in the case of Badal and other politicians, then Bhatal’s case has also to be placed before the Chief Justice for deciding a new Bench.
Consequently, the Bench adjourned the hearing with a direction that the case of Bhattal be placed before the Chief Justice to decide the further course of action.
The trial in the Bhattal’s case is stayed by the apex court. Earlier it was clubbed with the cases of Badal and other politicians on which judgement was delivered in December last, but it was separated on the request of Venugopal at that time in view of the fresh evidence in the form of disbursement receipts being found.
The case against her was registered on the complaint of Mr Balwant Singh Dhillon, who alleged that she as Chief
Minister in 1996 had withdrawn Rs 20 lakh illegally from the CM’s relief fund and used it for personal gains.
Bhattal had contested the allegation, claiming that it was “conspiracy” hatched by her rivals to tarnish her image and damage her politically.
Apart from making submissions to this effect in the court, she had on many occasions said from public platforms that she had proof about the persons behind the conspiracy and would expose them at an appropriate time. She had even alleged that some senior officers of the Punjab Government had abetted the conspiracy.
