Punjab’s Congress chief-minister Capt. Amrinder Singh finds himself in the dock as the CBI, the country’s premier investigating agency, is interrogating his son-in-law Gurpal Singh in a scam related to the Simbhaoli Sugar Plant, easily the oldest such existing plant in the country.

Functioning from District Hapur in Uttar Pradesh, Simbhaoli Sugar Plant is the largest sugar refinery in the country.  It turns out that the firm took a loan of Rs.109 crores from the Chandigarh branch of Oriental Bank of Commerce for the sake of ‘furthering’ its business interests.  The Bank complained to the CBI when the firm faltered with the repayment of the loan taken.

CBI went on to register cases against chairman Gurmeet Singh Maan, CEO Rao, chief financial controller Sanjay Dhabriya, executive director Gursimkaur Mann and a few other officers of the refinery.  Taking the case ahead, the CBI has also registered cases against Gurpal Singh, son-in-law of State’s chief-minister Capt. Amrinder Singh.

Capt. Amarinder Singh, who led Congress to Assembly poll victory in March last years, finds himself in an embarrassing situation as the CBI is tightening the noose around his son-in-law’s firm in a case of money laundering.