Vigilance Bureau officials on Wednesday began questioning former Punjab chief minister Parkash Singh Badal in connection with corruption cases against him and his family members, including his wife Surinder Kaur and son Sukhbir.

About 50 officers led by Deputy Inspector General S Chhatopadhyay arrived at Badal's residence in Chandigarh and began investigations. The Shiromani Akali Dal leader readily agreed to cooperate with the officials.

Talking to reporters outside his residence shortly before the Vigilance Bureau sleuths arrived, Badal said, "It seems Chief Minister Amarinder Singh has already delivered the verdict - I will not be allowed to go scot free."

A large number of party workers assembled outside his residence raising anti-government slogans. Chandigarh Police had been deployed to maintain law and order.

The Akali leader alleged that the Congress government had set up obstacles at various places in Punjab to stop party workers from reaching Chandigarh. His party workers would not create any law and order problem and the apprehensions of the government are ill-founded, Badal said.

Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh on Wednesday told reporters in Delhi that the charges against his predecessor Parkash Singh Badal in the corruption cases against him were likely to be framed in the last week of October.

"Vigilance Bureau officials are questioning the former Punjab chief minister. His wife would be questioned at her residence while his son Sukhbir will be questioned at the Bureau's office," the chief minister told a press conference.

"A certain procedure has to be adopted, including an evaluation of properties owned by the family. Once this evaluation is complete, a charge sheet would be filed."

He also dismissed the charges by relatives of singer Daler Mehndi that police officials were demanding Rs 1.5 crore as bribe for settling a cheating case filed against them.