Bathinda: The Punjab Vigilance Bureau has issued a lookout circular (LOC) against former Finance Minister and BJP leader Manpreet Singh Badal in connection with a corruption case, sources said on Tuesday. It is learnt that the Punjab Vigilance Bureau has written to the airports and alerted them to prevent Manpreet Singh Badal from leaving the country.
The LOC has been issued against Manpreet Badal in connection with a corruption case registered against him and six others on Sept 24, a case. The case relates to loss of state exchequer worth Rs 65 lakh in purchase of two plots measuring 1,560 square yards during the tenure of Manpreet Badal as the Finance Minister of Punjab in September 2021.
Also read:Former Punjab minister Manpreet Singh Badal summoned by Vigilance in land scam case
The Punjab Vigilance has accused Badal of using his clout on officials of Bathinda Municipal Corporation as finance minister in the purchase of the two plots. After the case was registered against Manpreet Singh Badal on Sept 24, a team of vigilance bureau had raided his residence at village Badal in district Muktsar on Monday evening.
However the former minister was absconding prompting the Punjab Vigilance to issue a LOC against him. As soon as the case was registered against him, Manpreet Singh Badal applied for anticipatory bail in the Bathinda court, which he has withdrawn after the release of the lookout circular. Advocate Sukhdeep Singh Bhinder said that since the case has been registered, he will apply for bail afresh.
Pertinently, of the six accused in the alleged corruption case, three people were arrested by the Punjab Vigilance. DSP Vigilance Kulwant Singh said that a covert operation is being conducted to arrest former finance minister Manpreet Singh Badal in the case. It can be recalled that in July this year, the Punjab Vigilance Bureau had summoned Badal for questioning in the case.
