Ex-judge MS Walia gets 4-year jail in DA case

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, December 21 

A special CBI court today sentenced former Civil Judge Senior Division MS Walia to four years of imprisonment in a case pertaining to disproportionate assets (DA). The court also imposed a fine of Rs 1 lakh on him.

The CBI had registered a case against Walia under the Prevention of Corruption Act following the direction of the Punjab and Haryana High Court in 1998. The former Punjab judge was held guilty under Sections 13 (1) (e) and 13 (2) of the Prevention of Corruption Act. He was found holding assets (worth around Rs 50 lakh) disproportionate to the declared income.

A complaint against Walia was submitted to the High Court by BS Bindra, an advocate who resides in Sector 9. The complainant had stated that while a half portion of a house in Sector 9 was with him, the remaining half was purchased by Walia in the name of his uncle HP Singh, a non-resident Indian (NRI).

Acting on the complaint, the High Court marked an inquiry. Prima facie, it was found that Walia possessed a disproportionate property. On the direction of the court, an FIR was then registered against the former judge.

The CBI initiated the investigation into the case and found fixed deposits of Rs 3 lakh in the account of Walia’s family members. Later, the CBI also seized documents pertaining to the agreement to sale and the GPA of the Sector 9 house from the former judge’s possession. 

The CBI sleuths had also found debentures of Vardhman Mill of Rs 12.5 lakh, which were also encashed to the account of one of his family members. The CBI had also found documents pertaining to an investment of Rs 25 lakh in the name of Sehgal Motors at Ludhiana.