Ludhiana City Centre scam: ED allowed to inspect files

ORDER Final arguments on closure report are likely to be heard on November 15

THE VIGILANCE BUREAU, WHICH REGISTERED THE CASE IN 2007, HAD FILED A CLOSURE REPORT LAST YEAR SAYING A REINVESTIGATION FOUND NO EVIDENCE AGAINST 33 ACCUSED

LUDHIANA: The enforcement directorate’s (ED’s) Jalandhar wing has been given the go ahead by a local court to inspect the case files of the Ludhiana City Centre scam in which chief minister Captain Amarinder Singh is one of the accused.

November 3 has been fixed for the financial probe agency to inspect the case files.

The Vigilance Bureau had initially submitted a 100-page chargesheet but later filed a closure report, saying a re-investigation found no evidence against Amarinder Singh, his son Raninder Singh, son-in-law Raminder Singh and 33 others.

Final arguments on the closure report are likely to be heard by district and sessions judge Gurbir Singh on November 15.

In the previous hearing, the ED’s plea was opposed by the Punjab prosecution department which argued that the financial probe agency was not a party in the case and thus cannot be allowed to inspect the files.

It was also argued that earlier too, a similar application filed by ED was disposed of. The ED had filed a separate first information report (FIR) under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act in 2013 on basis of the FIR filed by the Vigilance Bureau.

Ludhiana district attorney Ravinder Abrol has confirmed the development.

Captain Amarinder Singh, his son Raninder Singh and late local bodies minister Jagjit Singh are among 33 people accused of causing monetary loss to the state by awarding the contract of the multi-million Ludhiana City Centre project to a New Delhi-based construction company.

The case was filed during the Shiromani Akali Dal-Bharatiya Janata Party (SAD-BJP) tenure. It was alleged that a private builder was favoured during the Amarinder’s previous term as the Punjab’s chief minister.

Touted as one of the biggest projects in the state, the city centre plan was rolled out in 2006.

The complex was supposed to have shopping malls, multiplexes, apartments and a helipad.