A lookout circular (LOC) has been issued against former Punjab finance minister Manpreet Singh Badal, who has been booked in connection with alleged irregularities in the purchase of a property in Bathinda.

Officials suspect that Badal might flee the country to evade arrest, and have therefore put all airports on alert.

The LOC was issued on Monday after teams of the Punjab Vigilance Bureau conducted raids at the residence of Badal, who joined the BJP after quitting the Congress in January, in Muktsar to nab him, PTI reported.

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The Punjab Vigilance Bureau on Sunday registered a case against Badal and five others in connection with alleged irregularities in the purchase of a property in Bathinda. Following the registration of the FIR, the police have initiated a search operation to locate Badal. His current whereabouts are not certain.

Apart from Badal, former Bathinda Development Authority (BDA) chief administrator Bikramjit Shergill was also named in the case. The other four booked in the case on Sunday night have been identified as Rajiv Kumar, Amandeep Singh, Vikas Arora and Pankaj.

Rajiv, Amandeep and Vikas have been arrested, an official spokesperson told the Indian Express, adding raids were being conducted to arrest Badal and the remaining accused.

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Meanwhile, Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, in a statement, took a swipe at Manpreet, saying those who used to boast about honesty are now running from pillar to post to save their skin.

“There is a huge difference between speaking the truth and standing by it… These hypocrites always befooled people with their flowery language,” Mann said, adding under the garb of public service, they looted the wealth of the state which is not tolerable.

The vigilance bureau had launched an investigation into the matter based on BJP leader and former MLA Sarup Chand Singla’s 2021 complaint alleging irregularities in the purchase of the property at a prime location in Bathinda.

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Singla, who was earlier with the Shiromani Akali Dal, had alleged that Manpreet, as a minister in the previous Congress dispensation, had abused his position to convert two commercial plots into a residential plot for himself.

The case was registered under relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code, including sections 420 (cheating) and 468 (forgery), and also under the Prevention of Corruption Act.

(With inputs from PTI)