Lookout circular issued against former Punjab CM Capt Amarinder’s adviser Chahal
The circular against Chahal, who is incommunicado and untraceable since the vigilance bureau initiated its probe about 12 days ago, has been opened to prevent him from fleeing India
A lookout circular has been issued against former Punjab chief minister Captain Amarinder Singh’s aide Bharat Inder Singh Chahal, who is under vigilance bureau’s investigation in a corruption case, officials said on Wednesday.
The circular against Chahal, who is incommunicado and untraceable since the vigilance bureau initiated its probe about 12 days ago, has been opened to prevent him from fleeing India.
Confirming the development, an official of the vigilance bureau said, “On our request, the central government has issued a lookout circular against Chahal.”
“We have already summoned him, but he is not traceable,” the official, who didn’t wish to be named, added.
Chahal has been missing from Patiala and his mobile phone is also switched off. The bureau had on Monday visited a marriage palace owned by him on the Patiala-Sirhind road to ascertain the value of the property. On Tuesday, it also measured a shopping complex bought by Chahal in 2018 on Nabha Road near the mini-secretariat, which has been built on nine acres.
A team of officers has been deputed to check his various benami deals, including agriculture land and commercial properties in Mohali, New Chandigarh and other areas.
Alcazar wedding resort on Patiala-Sirhind road was inaugurated in 2018 by the then chief minister Captain Amarinder Singh with top brass of police, vigilance bureau and IAS officers attending the event.
The vigilance team is now ascertaining the value of the property as it believes that Chahal had amassed property through unfair means while he was the adviser to the chief minister. He remained the adviser with cabinet rank from 2017-2021. He, along with Amarinder, had joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) this July.
In 2007, Chahal was booked for corruption during the Shiromani Akali Dal-BJP rule in Punjab and faced a probe by the vigilance bureau.
He, however, was acquitted in 2016 as all 77 government witnesses had turned hostile.
This later became a poll issue and set a narrative that the Badals and Captain had struck a compromise.
