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Court stays Amarinder's arrest till July 31

Airport authorities in Delhi directed not to detain him

Chandigarh: Former Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh, who is expected to return from London this week, on Thursday got some reprieve with the Punjab and Haryana High Court staying his arrest till July 31 in a graft case.

The High Court also directed the airport authorities in Delhi not to detain Capt. Singh on his arrival from London.

Justice R. S. Randhawa issued notices to the State of Punjab, the Union Government, the Director of Bureau Immigration and Immigration Controller at Indira Gandhi International Airport, New Delhi.

Capt. Singh had moved the court on Wednesday through his counsel seeking transit anticipatory bail so that he is not arrested at the airport on his return to India due to red corner notice issued against him, former advocate general and Capt. Singh's lawyer R. S. Cheema said.

The former Chief Minister had gone to the UK soon after taking oath as MLA on March 15.

Three weeks after Parkash Singh Badal became Chief Minister, Capt. Singh and 18 others were booked by Punjab Vigilance Bureau on March 24 for alleged corruption and cheating in connection with the Ludhiana City Centre scam.

The Vigilance Bureau, in its FIR, had accused Capt. Singh of violating all norms in patronising and abetting the dilution of terms and conditions for favouring a particular party in executing the City Centre project.

Former State Congress chief H. S. Hanspal, former Local Bodies Minister Chaudhary Jagjit Singh and the then chairman of the Ludhiana Improvement Trust Paramjit Singh Sibia were also among those booked in the case.

``I have said it umpteen number of times that there will be no political vendetta and harassment of any individual,'' Mr. Badal told reporters when asked his reaction to the stay order.

He said his Government would ``follow the rule of law'' in the case would not register ``fabricated cases'' against political opponents. Mr Badal, however, brushed aside a question on the suspension of former state Director-General of Police S S Virk, saying, ``at this juncture, I will not comment on investigations going on against Mr Virk as it will adversely affect the probing agencies,'' the Chief Minister said. PTI

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