VB raids on Cong ex-MLA's properties: Building laws flouted, liquor seized in Ludhiana

Ludhiana: The Vigilance Bureau, Ludhiana Range continued raids on Tuesday on properties owned by former Congress MLA Kuldeep Singh Vaid. A Vigilance team along with a technical team reached the commercial property on Pakhowal road, which is owned by Vaid and has been rented out. According to VB officials, initial probe suggests that Vaid only had permission for construction of two floors but the building has five floors. The VB is verifying the details from the Municipal Corporation.
In the 2022 assembly elections, Vaid had declared assets worth Rs 21.55 crore. The VB conducted a raid on Vaid's residence in Sarabha Nagar on Monday and took some property documents in its possession. The Bureau also recovered liquor bottles, both imported and some only for sale in Chandigarh. Although Vaid and his councillor son Harkarandeep Singh Vaid had produced two permits, officials said that 16 bottles exceeded the permissible limit.
An FIR under various sections of the Excise Act was lodged against Kuldeep Vaid at division number 5 police station on Monday night. The FIR also said that the cost of the bottles was Rs 4.10 lakh. Senior superintendent of police - VB Ludhiana Range, Ravinderpal Singh Sandhu said that the Bureau has a list of nine properties owned by Vaid. On Tuesday, the VB technical team conducted evaluation of Vaid's commercial property, which has been given to a bank, hotel and restro-bar on rent.
Initial probe found that he had permission for construction of only two floors but at present, there were five floors. The Buearu will also summon Kuldeep Vaid for questioning soon. Evaluation of the remaining properties owned by Vaid will also be done.
Vaid, a bureaucrat-turned-politician, won the 2017 assembly elections on Congress ticket from Ludhiana's Gill constituency. He earlier served as DC Moga and additional chiefadministrator at Greater Ludhiana Area Development (Glada). For some time, he was also appointed chairman of Punjab State Warehousing Corporation.
Vaid described the raid as political vendetta and said that he had nothing to hide.