Badal case: Supreme Court refuses to stay trial

The Supreme Court on Wednesday declined to stay the trial in the disproportionate assets case against former Punjab CM and Akali Dal president Parkash Singh Badal.

Senior counsel Harish Salve brought up the matter before a three-judge bench headed by Chief Justice R.C. Lahoti which fixed October 1 for hearing Badal’s petition. Salve said the Ropar court had fixed September 28 for framing charges against Badal, his son and other accused and sought a stay on the trial but the bench did not relent. Badal’s SLP said a petition was filed in the Punjab and Haryana HC on June 30, 2004, contending that the order of the Ropar judge was without jurisdiction and no sanction was obtained for prosecuting the petitioner. The HC had dismissed it.