Four witnesses deposed before a special Court in Mohali on Friday even as Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal, his son Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Badal and wife Surinder Badal once again did not appear before the court in a high-profile corruption and disproportionate assets case registered against them by the Punjab Vigilance Bureau in Mohali on June 24, 2003.

While the father-son duo sought exemption from personal appearance citing their preoccupation in official work, Surinder had already been granted permanent exemption from personal appearance in the case.  

Badals’ close relative Narottam Singh Dhillon and aide Harbans Lal also did not appear and sought exemption on the ground of “unavoidable reasons” and “ill health”, respectively.  The court accepted the exemption pleas of all the accused absent today.

Interestingly, the prosecution and the defense counsels had already submitted before the court that there was “no incriminating evidence” against the Badals or any other accused and had termed it a “fit case for acquittal” of the accused.

On Friday, Special Judge J S Klar examined a manager of Punjab and Sind Bank in Morinda Rajinder Singh, senior manager of Punjab and Sind Bank in Sector 17-C, Chandigarh, Jasbir Singh, Satinder Singh of Suller village in Patiala and a commission agent (arhtiya) Mohinder Singh of Malout for their statements earlier recorded by the prosecution under Section 161 of the CrPC in August and September, 2003.

Deposing before the court, both bank officials submitted the relevant official records available with their branches and admitted the financial transactions of the Badals’ business concerns with their branches.  While Rajiinder confirmed the encashment of drafts in favour of Badals’ hatchery at Pallanpur village in Mohali, Jasbir admitted that Badal father-son duo were named as partners in the documents pertaining to the Dabwali transport company submitted with the bank.

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