A Joint team of Punjab Police and the Vigilance Bureau (VB) today arrested former Punjab CM Parkash Singh Badal’s relative Narotam Singh Dhillon from Shimla at 2.30 am this morning in connection with investigations into graft charges against the Badal family and its close aides.Family members said the raiding party with AK-47s was led by Faridkot Range DIG S. Chhattopadhyaya and SP, Economic Offences Wing, Vigilance Bureau, Surinder Pal Singh. However, the VB has shown that Dhillon was picked up from Shimla at 1.15 pm today after a Warrant Officer appointed by the Punjab and Haryana High Court landed at its Mohali Phase VIII station. The officer was appointed on a habeas corpus petition filed by Dhillon’s nephew Parminder Singh, against the State of Punjab and the DGP directing them to produce Dhillon as he was being held for ‘‘illegal and mala fide reasons by Punjab Police’’.The arrest of Dhillon, an NRI, was part of the probe in the disproportionate assets case against Badal’s former OSD Hardeep S. Bhamra, who has been declared a proclaimed offender. Dhillon is likely to be produced before the Kharar court by noon tomorrow.‘‘He told me that he had been grilled by the VB. He appeared very shocked, confused but otherwise alright,’’ his wife Dilbans Kaur said.
