Tell what info you want from ex-agri director: HC to police

CHANDIGARH:The Punjab and Haryana high court has ordered continuation of protection against arrest of former agriculture director of Punjab, Mangal Singh Sandhu, and asked Punjab Police to tell the court what information they wanted to seek from him.

The order was passed on Friday after Sandhu told the high court that all the details already stand furnished and even a supplementary challan had been filed on February 11, 2017. He contended that now he was being pressured to furnish details of bank accounts and property details of father-in-law.

Sandhu’s counsel was responding to request from state police stating that matter is under further investigation and certain details with regard to the bank statements and properties owned by the petitioner are required.

Taking submissions of both the parties into account, the high court has deferred the hearing for March 24 and directed police to prepare a proforma about details which are required from the petitioner and submit it to the court on March 24.

The high court was hearing a plea filed by Sandhu on September 30, seeking anticipatory bail in the second FIR registered against him under the Prevention of Corruption Act and other sections of Indian Penal Code for his alleged involvement in the pesticide scam.

The FIR was for alleged irregularities in proposals for purchase of particular insecticides for aphide/ white fly. Sandhu is out on bail in both the FIRs.

In the first FIR, he is accused of bribing officials of the agriculture department to store spurious pesticides and insecticides and sell the same to the public.