The VB action, filed under Section 17A of the Prevention of Corruption Act, follows a preliminary inquiry into the leasing of a Punjab tourism department property during Channi’s tenure as CM (September 2021 to March 2022)

The Punjab vigilance bureau has sought fresh sanction from the state government to initiate a probe against former chief minister and Congress leader Charanjit Singh Channi regarding alleged irregularities in leasing a government property in Goa at lower-than-market rates, officials aware of the matter said on Thursday.

The VB action, filed under Section 17A of the Prevention of Corruption Act, follows a preliminary inquiry into the leasing of a Punjab tourism department property during Channi’s tenure as CM (September 2021 to March 2022).

Channi, Lok Sabha MP from Jalandhar and a prominent Dalit face of the Congress in Punjab, has dubbed the move as political vendetta.

The Section 17A of the Prevention of Corruption Act mandates investigative agencies to obtain prior approval from the competent government authority before conducting any inquiry or investigation into a public servant accused of offences relating to decisions taken in their official duties.

The issue pertains to the alleged leasing of a prime 8-acre Goa property to a private hotelier at low rates when Channi was the CM.On June 28, 2023, Punjab chief minister Bhagwant Mann had told the Vidhan Sabha that the lease was cancelled and a vigilance probe ordered, alleging the property was given away at “throwaway prices”.

In October 2023, the bureau had sought sanction to probe allegations that the property was leased at cheaper rates, but the file did not move forward. Officials said a fresh request has now been initiated to obtain approval for registering a case, as the matter involves administrative decisions taken during Channi’s tenure and falls under the ambit of Section 17A.

According to allegations, three tourism-linked entities had stakes in the property. After bids were invited, the Punjab Heritage and Tourism Promotion Board leased the property to a bidder without the consent of two private companies, officials said.

“There were violations of norms. The prime sea-facing land was leased for about ₹1 lakh per month, while it is worth crores,” a VB officer said, adding the file has been forwarded to the department of parliamentary affairs.

Channi, on his part, said: “Where is the loss? How can they charge me with violations when the file is always moved to the minister through the administrative secretary, who is responsible for procedures and following rules?”. “Importantly, the government had cancelled the lease and never gave possession of the property to the hotelier, so where and how was the loss assessed?” he said.

The Congress leader claimed that the government is “afraid of his popularity” and is therefore planning to register a false FIR. “They didn’t find any evidence in the various inquiries initiated against me, so now they are planning to register a fabricated case.”HT reached out to officials in the government and the AAP but did not receive any response till the time of going to print.