Chandigarh, May 5: An Additional District and Sessions Judge on Saturday convicted Punjab Agriculture Minister Tota Singh and sentenced him to one year imprisonment apart from slapping a Rs 30,000 fine on him.
The judge Rajinder Aggarwal convicted the minister under Section 13(2) of the Prevention of Corruption Act on charge of misusing his official vehicle.
Within minutes of tthe verdict, the minister was let off on Rs 25,000 bail and a surety of like amount.
Tota Singh is the second cabinet minister in Punjab to be convicted within two months of being sworn in.
Tota Singh, as education minister, had been chargd of misusing the cars of Punjab school education board and caused huge loss to the board.
"The funds of the board are meant to be spent for the welfare of the students. A minister has to lead the others by example. When the person who is at the helm of the affairs conducts himself in such a manner, the others are bound to follow him. Such like persons loses the authority to control others…” read the order of the court while convicting Tota Singh.
However, the court taking into consideration that the accused had suffered the agony of protracted trial for about 10 years, awarded one year rigorous imprisonment along with imposition of a penalty of Rs. 30,000 to Tota Singh for misuse of the official car.
When asked whether he would resign from the cabinet, he said, “I will resign if the high command asks me to so, party morals are supreme and I will quit if the party asks me to do.”
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