Chandigarh: The Punjab vigilance bureau (VB) on Tuesday issued a lookout circular (LOC) against the former finance minister and BJP leader Manpreet Badal at all the airports so as to stop him from leaving the country.
The VB had registered a case against him two days ago under Section 420, 467, 468, 471 and 120-B of IPC and Section 13 (1) of the prevention of corruption Act, besides the information technology Act.
Allegations of Record Manipulation
It may be recalled that the five-time legislator Manpreet Badal had been booked by the VB for allegedly manipulating records of the Bathinda Development Authority (BDA) to pocket prime sites in Bathinda. The VB had arrested three accused - Rajiv Kumar, Amandeep Singh and Vikas Arora, trio residents of Bathinda, on Monday.
The said case was registered on a complaint filed by Saroop Chand Singla, former MLA Bathinda city, against Manpreet Badal and five others. Manpreet who was earlier with Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) had joined Congress in 2016 and is now with BJP since January 2023.
Massive Financial Loss to State
The VB spokesperson held that during the probe it was found that Manpreet during his tenure as finance minister from the year 2018 to 2021 used his political pressure and influenced to purchase two plots measuring 1,560 square yards of land in Model Town phase-1 Bathinda causing a financial loss of lakhs of rupees to the state exchequer.
The VB had also raided various places including his farmhouse in Muktsar though he was untraceable.
Also, even though Manpreet had filed an anticipatory bail plea in Bathinda court on September 22 as the VB had not registered any case against him till then, his anticipatory bail plea was withdrawn on Tuesday as he was said to be exploring legal options available to him.
BJP jumps to Manpreet Badal's defence
Meanwhile, the Punjab BJP has rallied behind Manpreet Badal questioning the timing of the FIR against him and asking the ruling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government to come out with facts in the case.
The state BJP chief Sunil Jakhar said that though the party was against any sort of corruption, the AAP government should come out with facts and put them in public domain.
Several senior party leaders who termed the case against Manpreet as political vendetta, alleged that the chief minister Bhagwant Mann-led AAP government would now go after former Congress leaders who had recently joined BJP.
