The Punjab Vigilance Bureau has filed a case against former state finance minister Manpreet Singh Badal and five others for alleged irregularities in a property purchase in Bathinda. Badal, who is now a BJP leader, and former Bathinda municipal corporation commissioner Bikramjit Shergill are among those booked in the case.
Sukhdeep Singh Bhinder, who represented Manpreet Badal in the court, said on Saturday that along with the bail plea, they had submitted a transcript of chief minister Bhagwant Mann’s recent public address where he allegedly stated that the five-time legislator will be sent behind the bars.
Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann said teams of district administration were on the spot, adding that he was getting regular updates about the rescue operation.
The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has claimed that the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) have already reached an alliance in Punjab, although the SAD has denied the allegations. The AAP spokesperson in Punjab, Malvinder Singh Kang, stated that the terms of the alliance have already been decided, with the BJP not wanting SAD leaders Sukhbir Singh Badal and Bikram Singh Majithia to contest the Lok Sabha elections.