Former Dy CM OP Soni sent to judicial custody

Amritsar, July 13

Former deputy chief minister and senior Congress leader OP Soni, who is facing disproportionate assets case, was sent to judicial custody by a local court here on Thursday.

He appeared before the court through video-conferencing as he was currently under treatment at a private hospital here. He was admitted to hospital after he had complained of uneasiness after hearing on Tuesday. He faced sudden spikes in his blood pressure and heart rate. The court had sent him to police custody for two days at that time. The doctors had declared him unfit for custodial questioning. After the expiry of police remand, he appeared in the court through video- conferencing on medical grounds on Wednesday.

The Vigilance Bureau had filed an application for the constitution of a medical board for the medical examination of Soni. The court directed the Civil Surgeon to form a medical board of doctors to medically examine Soni and file a report at 2pm on Thursday.

A three-member medical board consisting of specialists of cardiologist, neurologist and medicine from Government Medical College here was constituted which presented its sealed report in the court today.

Pardeep Saini, legal counsel of OP Soni, said considering the report, the court sent the former deputy chief minister to judicial custody till July 20. He said the court said till he was under treatment at the hospital, he would not be questioned and would remain in judicial custody. He said after recuperating, the court would be informed accordingly. He said he was currently in the ICU.

A complaint was filed with the Vigilance Bureau regarding disproportionate assets case against OP Soni in October last year. Following eight-month investigations, the VB registered a case under Sections 13 (1) (b) and 13 (2) of the Prevention of Corruption Act against him.

The VB said it analysed his sources of income and expenditure during the period from April 2016 to March 2022. Soni and his family had an income of Rs 4.52 crore while their expenditure was Rs 12.48 crore, which was 176 per cent (Rs 7.96 crore) more than his known sources of income. He had amassed properties in the name of his wife Suman Soni and son Raghav Soni, the Vigilance Bureau added.