Prosecution says former SSP’S plea politically motivated

ON JULY 18, FORMER SSP HAD SAID HE WAS BEING PRESSURED TO DEPOSE IN THE COURT IN THE FAVOUR OF ACCUSED

LUDHIANA: Heated arguments were witnessed on Friday in the court of district and sessions judge in the resumed hearing of the Ludhiana City Centre scam with the prosecution stating that the petition filed by former vigilance bureau SSP Kanwarjit Singh Sandhu should be dismissed as it is politically motivated.

Sandhu’s counsel Vijay Mahendru said the former senior superintendent of police (SSP) is being pressured to support the cancellation report in the alleged scam as he was the investigating officer in the case. The court of Gurbir Singh adjourned the matter to August 8 when arguments from both the sides will be concluded.

Punjab director prosecution Vijay Singla termed as false Sandhu’s claim that chief minister Captain Amarinder Singh and his predecessor Parkash Singh Badal have joined hands to settle cases against each other.

“Both Badal and Amarinder are political rivals. The investigating agencies have submitted outcome of their investigation for judicial scrutiny,” said Singla. Sandhu in his application had stated, “Both Amarinder and Badal have colluded to scuttle the judicial process by diluting corruption cases involving thousands of crores of rupees. They are also misusing their power to threaten and intimidate public servants who had investigated the cases against them. Departments of home and prosecution are under Amarinder and there is a clear-cut conflict of interest as he himself is accused in the City Centre scam.”

On July 18, he had said he was being pressured to depose in the court in the favour of the accused.

The Vigilance Bureau (VB), which registered the case in 2007, had filed the closure report in a Ludhiana court last year.

The case was registered by VB in March 2007, wherein Capt Amarinder Singh, his son Raninder Singh, and former local bodies minister Jagjit Singh (now deceased) along with others were named as accused for allegedly causing Rs1,144-crore loss to the state exchequer by awarding the mega City Centre project contract to a New Delhi-based construction company.