Indian Express | Punjab | Asia Samachar | 9 May 2015
Punjab chief minister Prakash Singh Badal, from whose bus a Moga girl was thrown after molestation last week, owns a vast business empire, which includes several transport companies, a hospitality firm, and a media business, reports The Indian Express.
One of the companies in his stable is Orbit Aviation Pvt Ltd. It owns the bus in which a 14-year-old girl and her mother were abused and groped by a group of men, including the conductor, before being thrown from it on May 6. The girl died instantly while her mother was seriously injured.
Orbit Aviation is said to be owned by Sukhbir Singh Badal, the Deputy Chief Minister and son of Parkash Singh Badal.
To add salt to injury, two days later, Punjab’s Education Minister Surjit Singh Rakhra described the incident as an “God’s will”, according to one report.
In one comment to the Badal Business story, one reader wrote: “Politics is the most profitable business in India today. The only skill needed is to be extremely dishonest. Just look why politics is becoming dynastic enterprise almost everywhere except may be the communists.”
TRANSPORT
Orbit Aviation: Into both aviation and road transport. Has fixed-wing aircraft and choppers. Dy CM Sukhbir Singh Badal’s father-in-law, Satyajit Majithia, and brother-in-law, Gurmehar Majithia are directors of the company. Two old Badal family loyalists, Mohd Jameel and Mohd Rafiq, too are directors.
Taj Travels: MD Lakhvir Singh alias Lakhi, Badals’ close associate, held 56.63% in 2012; another aide, Gurdeep Singh, 43.23%. As of March 31, 2013, fixed assets included Badal properties such as House No. 256 in Chandigarh’s Sec 9, Sukhbir’s residence, and land in Badal village. In 2014-15, it had 63 buses.
Dabwali Transport Co.: Sukhbir has 99.74 per cent stake. Directors are Jameel and Rafiq, the family loyalists. Investors are other family-linked companies
HOSPITALITY
Orbit Resorts: Registered address is 256, Sec 9, Chandigarh — Sukhbir’s residence. As per the balance sheet filed in March 2013, family friends Jameel and Rafiq own shares, as do Sukhbir and his family. A venture similar to the multi-crore luxury property in Gurgaon is coming up in Mullanpur, 20 km from Chandigarh.
MEDIA
G-Next Media Pvt Ltd: Has a TV network. In September 2012, 10,00,000 shares were transferred from the portfolio of Sukhbir Badal to G-Next Media Pvt Ltd. Orbit Resorts is a major stakeholder. Runs three channels: PTC Punjabi, PTC News, PTC Chakk De. PTC News is seen as a Badal mouthpiece.
108 crore is what union Minister Harsimrat Kaur Badal claimed as the couple’s combined worth in her Lok Sabha election nomination affidavit: her own assets were Rs 12.02 crore; her husband, Dy CM Sukhbir’s (right), Rs 96.14 crore.
60 crore was the couple’s worth during the 2009 Lok Sabha elections. During the Punjab assembly elections of 2012, Sukhbir claimed their assets to be worth
Rs 90.86 crore.
Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal claimed to be poorer than his son and daughter-in-law together, with assets worth only Rs 6.75 crore in the 2012 elections. He was worth Rs 9.20 crore during the 2007 elections.
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