Chandigarh: Punjab and Haryana high court has stayed proceedings in a corruption case against Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee (PPCC) general secretary Capt Sandeep Sandhu in connection with alleged embezzlement of Rs 65 lakh earmarked for installing streetlights in villages in 2021 and 2022.Justice Sanjay Vashisth passed the order on a petition filed by Sandhu, who was OSD to former Punjab chief minister Capt Amarinder Singh. Sandhu had sought the quashing of various orders passed by a special court in a sessions trial arising from an FIR registered on Sept 27, 2022, by the Vigilance Bureau’s Economic Offences Wing in Ludhiana.Sandhu, through his counsel senior advocate Bipin Ghai and advocate Nikhil Ghai, challenged the orders directing the investigating agency to file a supplementary report under Section 173(8) of the CrPC following an expedited probe.The high court observed, “…the FIR was registered only due to change of the regime in the state of Punjab, in year 2022.”The FIR was registered under Sections 13(1)(a) read with 13(2) of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988, and Sections 409 and 120-B of the IPC. Sections 465, 467, 468 and 471 of the IPC were subsequently added.“The grievance of the petitioner is that the allegations are prejudged and have grossly affected/prejudiced the right of defence,” the HC said while ordering a stay on the proceedings.The next hearing is on Oct 16.
