The former Akali minister for the Public Works Department, Sucha Singh Langah, was booked by the Punjab Vigilance Bureau on 16 May 2002 under the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988, and sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) (The Tribune 19 May 2002). Langah had reportedly amassed "wealth disproportionate to his known sources of income" (The Hindu 19 May 2002). Several articles provided details as to the charges laid against Langah (ibid.; The Tribune 30 July 2002; ibid. 19 May 2002; ibid. 24 May 2002).

A 19 May 2002 article reported that the Indian Airport Authority had been warned that Langah was considered a flight risk (The Tribune 19 May 2002). Reportedly, the former minister had fraudulently obtained a passport in 1998 by "'concocting facts'" (ibid.). He had earlier been denied a passport by the Jalandhar Regional Passport Office in 1992 because he was listed on the Prior Approval List (PAL) of the Government of India, which contains the names of "'bad characters'" (ibid.; The Hindu 19 May 2002).

Langah was reported to have surrendered to the court on 25 July 2002 and was subsequently remanded in police custody until 30 July 2002 (The Tribune 26 July 2002). A later article reported that a judicial magistrate had extended Langah's police remand until 1 August 2002, ordering that he should be produced before the court on that date (ibid. 31 July 2002). The judge further ordered that Langah's counsel be allowed to meet with him twice daily and that a register, signed by the counsel, should be maintained to track these meetings (ibid.). Additionally, it was ordered that Langah be kept at the Phase VIII police station in Mohali, and that he should be allowed to sleep for eight hours (ibid.).

A 28 July 2002 article reported that a Judicial Magistrate in Kharar had issued notice to the Deputy Inspector General (DIG), Vigilance Bureau, Punjab, for 29 July 2002 alleging that Langah was "tortured" and "humiliated" while in police custody (ibid. 28 July 2002). According to the article, Langah had informed his counsel that he was "paraded naked in the police station for one and half hours, was made to do sit ups number of times, and was not allowed to sleep and [was] abused and humiliated" (ibid.). Responding to these allegations of mistreatment, the judge directed the DIG to file a reply on 29 July 2002 (ibid.).

A later article reported that a spokesperson for the Punjab Public Relations Department denied allegations that Langah was tortured and humiliated and added that the Vigilance Bureau had taken Langah to the hospital on his request for treatment (ibid. 30 July 2002). The spokesperson further claimed that the "Akalis were raising this issue only to divert the attention of the bureau and to derail the investigations" (ibid.).

Langah, whose police remand had been extended until 27 September 2002 (ibid. 14 Sept. 2002), was granted bail on 12 October 2002 (ibid. 13 Oct. 2002) and released from jail on 15 October 2002 (ibid. 16 Oct. 2002). As of the publication of an 18 December 2002 Hindu article, Langah was still out on bail.

According to a 26 July Tribune article thirteen people had been arrested in connection with the case against Langah. Those named included: Gurcharan Singh Channi, (The Tribune 24 May 2002); Pardeep Bhateja, Vinod Garg, Kanwaljeet, or Kamaljit, Singh (ibid. 23 May 2002; ibid. 24 May 2003), and Amrik Singh Mohali (ibid.). A later article reported that Sudarshan Kaura had been sent to police remand until 16 December in connection with the Langah case (ibid. 14 Dec. 2002).

Amrik Singh Mohali, who was formally arrested on May 18, was granted bail on 25 June 2002 (ibid. 27 June 2002; ibid. 26 June 2002). According to the article, the judge stated in his order that "'as he (Amrik Singh Mohali) is no longer required by the prosecution for the purpose of investigation and nothing is to be recovered from him, so he is ordered to be released on bail on his furnishing a bail bond in the sum of RS 1 lakh with a surety in the like amount to the satisfaction of the court'" (ibid.). Gurcharan Singh was also reported to have been granted bail (ibid.).

This Response was prepared after researching publicly accessible information currently available to the Research Directorate within time constraints. This Response is not, and does not purport to be, conclusive as to the merit of any particular claim to refugee status or asylum.

References

The Hindu [New Delhi]. 18 December 2002. "Ex-Akali Minister Booked in Corruption Case." http://www.hinduonnet.com/thehndu/2002/12/18/stories/2002121805520300.htm [Accessed 28 Apr. 2003]

_____. 19 May 2002. "Graft Charge Against Ex-Punjab Minister." http://www.hindu.com/thehindu/2002/05/19/stories/2002051902690700.htm [Accessed 28 Apr. 2003]

The Tribune [Chandigarh]. 14 December 2002. "One Gets Police Remand in Langah Case." http://www.tribuneindia.com/2002/20021214/punjab1.htm [Accessed 28 Apr. 2003]

_____. 16 October 2002. "Langah Freed on Bail." http://www.tribuneindia.com/2002/20021016/punjab1.htm [Accessed 28 Apr. 2003]

_____. 13 October 2002. "Langah Granted Regular Bail." http://www.tribuneindia.com/2002/20021013/punjab1.htm [Accessed 28 Apr. 2003]

_____. 14 September 2002. "Langah's Remand Extended." http://www.tribuneindia.com/2002/20020914/punjab1.htm [Accessed 28 Apr. 2003]

_____. 31 July 2002. "Allow 8-Hr Sleep to Langah: Court Counsel Permitted to Meet Him Twice Daily." http://www.tribuneindia.com/2002/20020731/main6.htm [Accessed 28 Apr. 2003]

_____. 30 July 2002. "VB Links Langah to 'Money, Women'." http://www.tribuneindia.com/2002/20020730/main4.htm [Accessed 28 Apr. 2003]

_____. 28 July 2002. "Langah's Torture: Police Told To Explain." http://www.tribuneindia.com/2002/20020728/main3.htm [Accessed 28 Apr. 2003]

_____. 26 July 2002. "Langah Surrenders in Court." http://www.tribuneindia.com/2002/20020726/main8.htm [Accessed 28 Apr. 2003]

_____. 27 June 2002. "Arrest Illegal, Says Mohali." http://www.tribuneindia.com/2002/20020627/punjab1.htm [Accessed 28 Apr. 2003]

_____. 26 June 2002. "Mohali Granted Bail." http://www.tribuneindia.com/2002/20020626/punjab1.htm [Accessed 28 Apr. 2003]

_____. 24 May 2002. "Langah Has 73 Shops in Dhariwal." http://www.tribuneindia.com/2002/20020524/punjab1.htm [Accessed 28 Apr. 2003]

_____. 23 May 2002. "Police Remand For Langah's 'Touts'." http://www.tribuneindia.com/2002/20020523/cth1.htm [Accessed 28 Apr. 2003]

_____. 19 May 2002. "Langah's Assets of 12.60 cr 'Uncovered'." http://www.tribuneindia.com/2002/20020519/main7.htm [Accessed 28 Apr. 2003]