Punjab: Rs 30 lakh demanded for ‘favourable order’, lawyer, associate arrested

Punjab: The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has arrested a lawyer for allegedly demanding Rs 30 lakh for getting a “favourable order” from a Bathinda court in a divorce case. The accused, identified as lawyer Jatin Salwan and his associate Satnam Singh, were produced in court, which remanded them to judicial custody till Monday. The agency had arrested them on August 14. The CBI has filed a plea in the court seeking their remand.

The two accused were arrested on a written complaint received on August 13 from Harsimranjit Singh of Ferozepur city. It is alleged that the lawyer had used his personal influence over the judicial officer to demand Rs 30 lakh for getting a “favourable order” from a Bathinda court in his cousin’s divorce case. Following investigation, a trap was laid and the accused were reportedly arrested with Rs 4 lakh in cash. In the FIR, the CBI claimed that Jatin Salwan had asked the complainant to make the full payment but upon negotiating with him, the lawyer asked him to pay at least Rs 5 lakh as the first instalment.