Punjab Vigilance Bureau raids residence of Amarinder Singh's close aide

A team of officials from the Punjab Vigilance Bureau on Wednesday raided the Patiala residence of Bharat Inder Singh Chahal, the former advisor to ex-chief minister Amarinder Singh, in a disproportionate assets case, official sources said.

The raid was conducted to nab Chahal, they added.

Chahal, a close aide of Singh, was booked in August under the relevant sections of the Prevention of Corruption Act.

The bureau has found out that the income of Chahal and his family members from March 2017 to September 2021 was Rs 7.85 crore against the expenditure of Rs 31.71 crore -- almost 305 per cent more than his known sources of income.

Chahal had made properties in his own as well as his family members' names, including the Dashmesh Luxury Wedding Resort (Alcazar) situated at the Sirhind road and a five-storey commercial building on the Mini Secretariat road in Patiala.

Chahal was the advisor to the former chief minister from 2017 till September 2021 and his media advisor from 2002 till 2007.

After Singh was unceremoniously ousted from the chief minister's post in 2021, he quit the Congress and floated his own party -- Punjab Lok Congress (PLC). Chahal's son had unsuccessfully contested the 2022 state Assembly polls from Sanaur on a PLC ticket.

Chahal, along with Singh, joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) last year.