Chandigarh: Probing a disproportionate assets case against former Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh’s adviser BIS Chahal, the Vigilance Bureau on Monday raided the properties owned by Mr Chahal.
According to reports, while the vigilance teams went to a few properties in Patiala to ascertain their value on Monday, the Punjab Police had also gone to Mr Chahal’s house, in the district, a few days ago but failed to find him there.
Vigilance officials said while summons were issued to him to appear before the investigation team, the immigration authorities had also been requested to issue a look-out circular (LOC) against Mr Chahal so that he does not flee the country.
Stating that Mr Chahal had not responded to the summons, the officials held that Mr Chahal’s family members including his grandson, were present in Patiala.
Mr Chahal was alleged to have amassed properties through unfair means during his stint as the adviser to then Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh from 2017-21, hence the inquiry into the alleged charges. Mr Chahal was adviser to Capt Singh with a Cabinet rank.
Mr Chahal, who was a close confidant of Mr Singh, was also his media adviser during the previous Congress rule from 2002-07, also in the rank of Minister of State.
He was booked for corruption after the SAD-BJP combine formed the Government in 2007 but was acquitted in 2016 after the witnesses turned hostile. It was later alleged the SAD and Capt Singh had struck a compromise.
Notably, Capt Singh – who had quitted the Congress and floated Punjab Lok Congress in November 2021 ahead of February assembly poll — had joined BJP along with Mr Chahal, merging his PLC in August 2022.
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