Scam charges against Akali leaders dropped

Scam charges against Akali leaders dropped
Sucha Singh Langah, former agriculture minister, who had been charged for owning Rs 12.17 crore in assets disproportionate to his known sources of income will join a list of Akali leaders who have had cases against them withdrawn. Following a request by Langah, the Vigilance Bureau, which had filed the case against has taken it back.
Among other leaders who had been acquitted is Nirmal Singh Kahlon, former Assembly Speaker Kahlon who had been accused of bribery in panchayat appointments by the same group. He group later conceded that it had nothing to prove its claims.
Former chief parliamentary secretary Sohan Singh Thandal was acquitted by the Punjab and Haryana High Court in a corruption case and relieved of a three-year jail term a lower court had awarded him.
Vigilance had accused former revenue minister Ajit Singh Kohar of possessing benami properties worth over Rs 20 crore. Later, Vigilance witnesses turned hostile and it had to file an application to withdraw the case, citing lack of evidence.
Other Akali leaders who had faced cases and were later acquitted are former education minister Sewa Singh Sekhwan and Jagdish Singh Garcha. Proceedings in corrpution cases against the Badals, Parkash Singh Badal along with his wife and son are still on but most of the witnesses have turned hostile.