HC gives interim protection to pvt secy to Punjab jails minister

THE HIGH COURT BENCH OF JUSTICE MANOJ BAJAJ HAS SOUGHT RESPONSE FROM THE STATE BY SEPTEMBER 6; DETAILED ORDER AWAITED

CHANDIGARH: The Punjab and Haryana high court on Friday granted interim protection from arrest in a cheating case to Bachittar Singh, private secretary to Punjab jails minister Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa.

The high court bench of justice Manoj Bajaj while seeking response from the state by September 6, gave him the interim protection from arrest, said his lawyer, Gautam Dutt.

The detailed order is awaited. The FIR in the case was lodged on May 2 in Longowal

in Sangrur on the complaint of Ram Dass Bansal.

Bansal has alleged that Bachittar had asked him to supply sugar to certain private persons, saying that he will be responsible for the dealings.

Sugar worth Rs 74 lakh and Rs 2.2 crore was supplied by different firms, but payment was made only of Rs 57 lakh and 87 lakh, with the remaining amount still due.

It was claimed that Bachittar is the main accused in the case.

Other accused are Abhishek Goyal, Kapil Garg and Sanjeev Kumar with at least Rs 75 lakh still pending for the sugar supplied to them. Bachittar was nominated as an accused at a later stage. Before the high court, Bachittar has claimed that he was falsely implicated and had no role to play in the alleged offence.