R.C.Kathuria, J.

1. Jasbir Singh Ahluwalia, petitioner-accused seeks anticipatory bail in the case bearing FIR No. 176 dated 22.4.2002 registered under Sections 420, 120-B and 408 of the Indian Penal Code and under Section 13(1)(d) read with Section 13(2) of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988 (hereinafter referred to as `the Act) with the Police Station, Sadar, Patiala.

2. The circumstances under which the case came to be registered have to be noticed in brief. A written complaint was made by Sukhwant Singh Sidhu and U.C. Singh claiming themselves to be the office-bearers of Joint Action Committee addressed to the Senior Superintendent of Police. Patiala highlighting the irregularities committed by the petitioner-accused while acting as Vice-Chancellor, Punjabi University, Patiala. It was stated therein that the petitioner-accused had initiated the process of giving highly important and high revenue generating Information Technology Courses in the University to the private Companies and for that purpose he constituted a Governing Body of non-technical members consisting of Professor B.S. Bhatia, Registrar, Prof. T.K. Sehgal and many others. Prof. Chanhan Singh was the o