Court allows Badal’s plea to withdraw case against Amarinder

CHANDIGARH - A local court here Saturday allowed a plea by Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal to withdraw a criminal defamation case filed against political rival and former chief minister Amarinder Singh.

The court, acting on a plea filed by Badal last week, dismissed the defamation case which was filed in 2002.

In his plea to the court, Badal stated that “even though the case is bound to succeed but without creating prejudice and in order to create atmosphere of cordiality of relationship, permission is sought to withdraw the criminal defamation case”.

Badal had made the announcement to withdraw the case last month after he, his wife Surinder Kaur and his deputy chief minister son Sukhbir Badal were acquitted in a case of disproportionate assets by a court in Punjab’s Mohali town, 10 km from here.

Badal announcement on the floor of the Punjab assembly that he would withdraw the case against Amarinder and that he sought an end to a bitter political rivalry. However, Amarinder Singh, who rejoined the assembly two years after he was expelled from it, did not respond to the gesture.

The defamation case was filed by Badal claiming that Amarinder Singh had written a letter to him September 2001 listing 16 properties owned by him and his family.

The letter alleged that the Badal family owned properties in several places across India and in other countries like the US and Australia. The value of these properties was put at over Rs.35 billion.