Ludhiana city centre scam: Plea of ex-VB SSP dismissed by court

A Punjab court dismissed today a plea of a former SSP to hear him before accepting a closure report of the vigilance bureau in the alleged Rs 1,100-crore Ludhiana City Centre scam that gave a clean chit to Chief Minister Amarinder Singh, his son and other accused.

The case, alleging that a private builder was favoured during Singh's previous term as CM, was filed in 2007 when the SAD-BJP was in power. But last year, the state Vigilance Bureau had filed a closure report, saying its reinvestigation of the alleged Rs 1,144-crore scam found nothing to substantiate the charges against Singh, his son Raninder Singh, son-in-law Raminder Singh and 33 others.

 

District Session judge Gurbir Singh, while dismissing the plea of former SSP of Vigilance Bureau Kanwarjit Singh Sandhu, said, "He is neither the complainant, aggrieved nor informer".

In his plea filed on July 17 this year, the former SSP had pleaded the court to hear him also before accepting the Vigilance Bureau's closure report filed on August 19, 2017 in the case.

The Vigilance Bureau had initially submitted a 100-page charge shee but later filed a closure report in the case, saying that there was no scam at all and that no proof has been found against the accused following a re-investigation.

The former SSP, however, moved the court seeking to be heard, saying that as a key investigator in the case he is "privy to certain important facts" which he wants to bring to the notice of the court.

He also alleged that there is a threat to his 'life and liberty'.

It was alleged that during Amarinder Singh's first stint as the CM in 2003, a Delhi-based private company was favoured for executing Ludhiana City Centre project and was given undue benefit for it.

The case had been filed under various sections of the Indian Penal Code and the Prevention of Corruption Act. Though the charge sheet was filed earlier, the charges were yet to be framed against the accused.

Touted as one of the biggest projects in the state, the Ludhiana City Centre plan was rolled out in 2006.

To be spread over 25 acres of land, the project proposed to have shopping malls, 12 multiplexes, residential apartments, helipad and parking slot. The project site on Pakhowal Road of Ludhiana, however, is currently in ruins.