Punjab and Haryana High Court grants interim stay on arrest of former minister Sangat Singh Gilzian

Saurabh Malik

Chandigarh, July 18

The Punjab and Haryana High Court on Monday granted an interim stay on arrest of former forest minister Sangat Singh Gilzian claiming that naming him as an accused in a corruption case is an act of political vendetta following the change in the government.

Justice Lisa Gill fixed the case for July 25.

Appearing before the Bench, senior advocate RS Rai with counsel Gautam Dutt had earlier contended that the petitioner had not committed any acts of “omission and commission so as to disclose any offence, much less the ones under which the FIR has been registered”.

The Bench was hearing Gilzian’s plea for quashing the FIR in the corruption case.

Submitting that the proceedings amounted to an abuse of the process of law and failure of justice, Rai contended that the Congress government was in power in Punjab from March 2017 to March 2022. The petitioner’s short tenure as forest minister was from September 26, 2021 to January 8, 2022. Thereafter, the model code of conduct was implemented. The present government came to power on March 16. The FIR was registered on June 6 under the provisions of the Prevention of Corruption Act and Sector 120-B of the IPC at Mohali Vigilance Bureau police station, flying squad-I.

Rai submitted that the allegations pertained to the felling of ‘khair’ trees at Nada village in Mohali. The bribe was allegedly paid to the petitioner’s aide, but he was made an accused, it was contended.