Ludhiana City Centre ‘scam’: Case adjourned for September 16

After 10 years, the Vigilance Bureau, which had also filed chargesheet in the court, has now filed closure report saying all those named in FIR were “completely innocent” and that there was no proof of any financial bungling.

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Punjab Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh. Express Photo by Kamleshwar Singh

The court of sessions judge Gurbir Singh on Monday adjourned the case related to alleged Rs 1,144 crore Ludhiana City Centre scam for September 16. Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh, his son Raninder Singh and 34 others were booked in the case. The Vigilance Bureau had on August 20 submitted closure report in the case, giving clean chit to Captain and others. The report also said “there was no scam at all” and “it was entirely fictional”. The court is yet to accept or reject the closure report.

Trilok Sood, one of the advocates for Captain, said arguments on the closure report were expected in the coming hearings.

Earlier, the matter was listed for hearing on September 2, but court holiday was announced on that day due to Bakri-Eid.

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The case dates back to 2007, during Amarinder’s previous tenure as CM. A private company, Today Homes, was allegedly given the undue benefits of Rs 1,144 crore for construction of Ludhiana City Centre. After 10 years, the Vigilance Bureau, which had also filed chargesheet in the court, has now filed closure report saying all those named in FIR were “completely innocent” and that there was no proof of any financial bungling. The project site on Pakhowal road of Ludhiana is currently in ruins. The proposal was to build malls, multiplex, helipad, residential towers etc way back in 2006.

Meanwhile, the court accepted the application of Raninder Singh, son of Captain Amarinder Singh, to visit abroad.
He was asked to furnish the surety bonds of Rs 20 lakh. Raninder came to the courts complex on Monday and furnished the bonds.

However, sources said it was for the nineteenth time since this case started that court accepted Raninder’s application to visit abroad after furnishing surety bonds.

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