Akali Dal MLA, kin acquitted in illegal construction case

An MLA of ruling Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) in Punjab and his family members have been acquitted by a Sessions court here in an eight-year-old case of raising an unauthorised residential colony on agriculture land, less than a year after they were convicted by a lower court.
Additional Sessions Judge Gurjant Singh last evening acquitted SAD MLA Joginderpal Jain and four other members of his family in the case.
On June 2 last year, a lower court had convicted Jain, his wife, their younger son Akshit Jain, newly elected Mayor of Moga Municipal Corporation, and his daughter for developing an illegal colony on agriculture land on the outskirts of Moga town.

All were jailed for six months for violating section 3 of the Punjab Apartment and Property Regulation Act 1995, but were released on bail immediately.
During the trial, the Punjab government had issued a notification on the new policy for compounding unauthorised colonies.
The government made it clear that such offences would no longer proceed to judicial courts, provided the violators deposit the compounding fee to regularise the colony.
Under this waiver scheme, Jain deposited the compounding fee.
The Greater Ludhiana Area Development Authority (GLADA) made a statement in the court that they did not want to continue legal proceedings against the MLA and his family members.