Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh on Wednesday welcomed the city court's verdict dismissing the charges against him and others in the City Centre scam case, which he said, was an 'act of political victimisation.'
Talking to media persons outside the court here, the Chief Minister said the truth had prevailed and their stand against the politically motivated charges had been fully vindicated, read an official statement.
Asserting that he and his family members accused in the case had always confidence in the law and faith in the judiciary, the Chief Minister said it had taken 13 years for the victory to come but the court verdict had shown that truth always wins in the end.
"The manufactured lies presented as evidence before the court by the petitioners had no leg to stand on and had been totally exposed as nothing but shameless falsehoods," he added.
However, Captain Singh lamented the cost the victims had to pay in the process while they waited for their names to be cleared and their reputations to be restored.
Five of the 36 accused in the case had, in this period, gone to their graves with the stigma of being involved in the scam, he pointed out and added that with their names getting cleared, their families could now finally live in peace.
Charges against all the accused were dismissed by the court today.
The court of Sessions Judge Gurbir Singh, while accepting the closure report moved by the Vigilance Bureau giving clean chit to Captain Amarinder Singh and all accused, said that no case of corruption had been made out against any of the accused.
There was no evidence against any accused, the judge ruled, adding that former chairman of Improvement Trust Paramjit Singh also did not indulge in corruption though he may be accused of disobeying the orders of his senior.
( With inputs from ANI )