High Court to take up Babla’s plea against conviction tomorrow

Chandigarh, April 16

The Punjab and Haryana High Court has put the Chandigarh Administration on notice on Congress leader Devinder Singh Babla’s plea against conviction.

The case revolves around allotment of sheds at the Sector 26 grain market in 2009. The appeal and prayer for suspension of sentence follow a lower court order convicting Babla on March 28 on an appeal filed by the UT Administration against his acquittal for two offences by a trail court in 2014.

Among other things, Babla was seeking suspension of his one-and-a-half-year sentence during the pendency of the revision plea.

Appearing on his behalf before Raj Mohan Singh’s Bench, senior advocate Vikram K Chaudhari contended that testimonies of four prosecution witnesses did not advance the prosecution case.

The trial court had acquitted the petitioner of the charges under Sections 420 and 468 of the IPC. But the conviction was recorded for the offences under Sections 465 and 471 of the IPC and the petitioner was released on probation. Chaudhari added that the lower appellate court maintained the conviction and also convicted the petitioner of additional offences under Sections 420 and 468 of the IPC, mainly on the inquiry report of PS Shergill, the then additional deputy commissioner, Chandigarh. But the officer was not examined by the prosecution.

He further contended that the report has not been authenticated by any evidence on record. The case will now come up for further hearing on April 18 for arguments on suspension of the sentence and main appeal. — TNS