MLAs claim HC judge bribed for taking action

Chandigarh: Lok Insaaf Party MLAs Simarjit Singh Bains and Balwinder Singh Bains on Monday released an audio recording claiming it to be a conversation about payment of Rs 35 lakh to a Punjab and Haryana high court judge for action against AAP leader Sukhpal Khaira in a drug smuggling case.

The audio conversation is allegedly between former PCS officer T.K. Goyal and former additional advocate general (AAG) Amit Chaudhary about paying the money to the judge. Goyal was recently dismissed on corruption charges. Chaudhary was AAG during the Akali rule.

Addressing a press conference, the Bains brothers claimed that the payment was made in connection with Khaira’s petition in the high court against his recent summoning by a Fazilka court in the drug smuggling case. Bains brothers said that they would meet governor to seek a CBI inquiry into the matter.

Later, addressing the media, Khaira said the facts that the Bains brothers had brought to light were sad. “We have faith in judiciary, but they too have failed us,” he said.

Khaira said, “We bow to the judiciary. But a tout of the Punjab and Haryana high court (referring to the lawyer) is claiming that he ensured that Khaira did not get relief (dismissal of revision petition). We consider judges like god. But it’s sad if justice is being compromised. We still do not know who is behind the controversy. I am a victim of a larger controversy. We suspect that Sukhbir Singh Badal, Bikram Singh Majithia and power minister Rana Gurjit Singh are involved,” he added.