Suspended IAS officer Vikas Garg gets bail

Suspended IAS officer and former Patiala deputy commissioner Vikas Garg, who was arrested in the Patiala land scam, today got bail by a local court as the Vigilance Bureau failed to file charge sheet within stipulated time of 90 days after his arrest.
Additional Sessions Judge N S Gill today granted him bail under sub-section (2) of Section 167 of CrPC, Garg's counsel Ashok Mathur told reporters here.
The accused has the right to get bail under this section if the chargesheet is not filed within the prescribed period.
Garg was arrested on March 15 by the Bureau from Hazarat Nizamuddin in Delhi. A case was registered against him and nine others on November 9, 2012 in the Rs 250-crore Patiala land scam.

Garg, along with five revenue officials, was suspended on May 8, 2012 by the Punjab government.
He is facing charges under various sections of IPC and Prevention of Corruption Act, for allegedly selling the government land measuring 6,000 square yards worth Rs 250 crore at just Rs 6.3 crore after marking it as private land on the papers, thereby causing huge losses to the government.
On November 9, last year, the Bureau had registered a case under sections 409, 420, 467, 468, 471, 120-B IPC and 13 (2) of Prevention of Corruption Act at VB police station Patiala against Garg, four former revenue officials of Patiala, and five private individuals for the "fraudulent sale" of the government land.

Garg gas also tried to secure pre-arrest bail from the High Court on December 21 last year, but was denied. He then moved the apex court which also declined his requests for relief.