Mohali, July 29 -- The court of additional sessions judge Prashant Verma on Monday upheld the 2009 conviction of Colonel Baljit Singh Sandhu (retd), the owner of World Wide Immigration Consultancy Services (WWICS), for violating Section 2 of the Forest Conservation Act, 1980, by constructing a resort on a forest land in Mohali's Karoran village. However, instead of sentencing him to jail, the court granted him probation. Probation in criminal cases allows a convicted person to avoid incarceration and remain in the community but under supervision.

As per the order, Sandhu will serve his sentence under the supervision of a probation officer, instead of being jailed. Sandhu's counsel Amit Mandkan said they will challenge this sentence and f...