Amritsar Improvement Trust Case: Relief to Amarinder, HC nods to shift trial
Saturday, 15/12/2012
http://punjabnewsline.com/news/Amritsar-Improvement-Trust-Case_-Relief-to-Amarinder_-HC-nods-to-shift-trial.html
CHANDIGARH: What is being perceived as victory of sorts for former Chief Minister of Punjab, Capt Amarinder Singh, in the legal battle against Punjab Government, the Punjab and Haryana High Court today shifted the trial in Amritsar Improvement Trust case against him to the senior-most Judge in Mohali.
Punjab Government, on the previous date of hearing, had told the Court it has no objections in shifting the trial against Capt Amarinder Singh from one court to another in Mohali. A statement to this effect was made before the Punjab and Haryana High Court by a Punjab law officer.
Counsel for Capt Amarinder Singh, R.S. Cheema and APS Deol, too said today they had no objections in the shifting of the case to some other Judge in Mohali itself.
The High Court had earlier issued notice after taking into consideration e allegations of bias against the state government, the prosecuting agency and the presiding officer, while issuing the notice.
The petition said the investigating officer, Surinder Pal Singh, was being prosecuted for perjury. But, he was also a prime witness in the case and was still serving with the Vigilance Bureau after being given extension in service. He could not be expected to depose independently.
Capt Amarinder Singh said he was booked in a corruption case for allegedly releasing 32 acres of Amritsar Improvement Trust. The proceedings in the case, registered on September 11, 2008, were going on before Mohali special judge (vigilance).
He claimed that the job of a public prosecutor was to assist the court and to inform it if any guidelines were being violated. But the public prosecutor was under administrative control of the home department of the state government, headed by Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal.
