Chandigarh: The voice samples of AAP MLA from Bathinda (Rural), Amit Rattan, who is lodged in Patiala jail in bribery case, have been confirmed. The Forensic Lab Mohali has confirmed this by sending a letter to the Vigilance Range Bathinda. The Vigilance had arrested MLA Amit Ratan on February 22 in connection with the bribery case.
Earlier on February 16, his PA Risham Garg was arrested red-handed while accepting a bribe. The vigilance case has been strengthened from the technical point of view with the lab report.
Meanwhile, the Punjab and Haryana High Court heard the bail application of Amit Rattan, but the court posted the matter for further hearing on May 22. Senior Advocate General Gaurav Dhuriwala and Mudai Pritpal Kumar were present in the court.
According to details, the Vigilance Range had submitted a challan against Amit Rattan in a Bathinda court on April 17, along with five audio recordings. Among them are mudai Pritpal Singh Ghudda, PA Risham Garg and MLA Amit Rattan.
The voice samples of these audio calls were sent by the Vigilance to forensic lab Mohali. Amit Rattan had demanded in the court that the samples be tested by forming a board.
According to sources, the voice samples of this trio were examined by a five-member board in the forensic lab, in which the voice samples of the three have matched.
The MLA’s PA Risham Garg is also in judicial custody. The vigilance has also recovered Rs 1.13 lakh from Risham’s house in Samana. The complainant, Pritpal Kumar, had started his mission in August 2022 to crack down on the bribery scandal. He had regularly bought a small recorder to collect evidence.
Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann had given a green signal for the arrest of AAP MLA Amit Rattan, sending a message that no bribe-taker would be spared.
Amit Rattan had unsuccessfully contested the 2017 elections as an Akali candidate from Bathinda Rural constituency. The Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) had also expelled Amit Rattan from the party over allegations of extortion.
After this, the AAP had fielded Amit Rattan in the 2022 elections. In these elections, Amit Ratan had destroyed movable and immovable assets worth Rs 2.64 crore of his family.