Ludhiana, July 12
Shiv Sena (Rashtravadi) chief Jagdish Tangri and his son Sunil Tangri remain defiant although they are the main accused in a number of alleged illegal activities going on in the Gur Mandi area of Chaura Bazar. They were denied anticipatory bail by Mr S.M.S. Mahal, Additional Sessions Judge, today.

The absconding father-son duo, who have eluded arrest despite police raids on several of their hideouts, in an exclusive interview to The Tribune claimed they were “victims of political rivalry” and were in the process of meeting senior national-level leaders in Delhi to put forward their point of view.

This correspondent met Sunil Tangri in person and spoke to Jagdish Tangri on his cell phone. The two agreed to talk in detail about the allegations against them.

Notwithstanding the mounting evidence against them in form of the recovery of video cassettes, CDs, arms and ammunition along with some other objectionable material, they continued to defend themselves. Having a ready explanation for every allegation, they maintained that they had been victimised and implicated in false cases.

The accused vent their ire against the media too. They threatened to sue certain mediapersons for allegedly contriving pictures and cooking up stories to defame them at the behest of certain political leaders and the police.

The following are excerpts from the interview:

Q. What do you have to say about the charges relating to the supply of arms to rioters, promoting illegal activities, running your own court of law and taking ‘hafta’ (protection money) from shopkeepers?

A. These are accusations. We have been implicated by certain politicians and mediapersons. I ask you if such an activity was going on in the Gur Mandi area for the past so many years, why was the police, administration and the public quiet? Will you too take action against them? The fact is that we were not into any illegal activity.

Q. But there is clinching evidence against you. Video cassettes show you and your father conducting a self-styled court of law. You have been shown torturing and beating up people. You...

A. (Interrupting the question) You are talking ‘bakwas’ (non sense). The cassette has been contrived like pictures of our people preparing bombs. We will sue everyone who made the accusations. You talk about the cassette. First of all we are not fools to allow anyone to record our own alleged wrong-doings. Why did not the media publish the picture of me or my father in the video. Why were the faces of those in the picture covered?

Q. This means you admit to running a parallel court to dispense vigilante justice?

A. Listen, the media is playing with words. It is just a panchayat. We have our association and we work and live like a family. Instead of going to the courts or the police and await justice we sit together and solve the case in our own panchayat.

Q. What about the pornographic material, arms and ammunition seized from rooms under your possession. How can you deny it?

A. Who is denying it. But the material is not ours. Listen, we are only leaders of the association and members of the temple management committee. There are shops on the temple land, which are given on rent. How can we be held responsible for the kind of material seized from the shops?

Q. But you have been collecting ‘hafta’ (protection money) from people in the market. You went to Kotwali police station to save persons allegedly preparing duplicate CDs claiming that the stuff prepared by you was affordable for the common man? Did you not champion the cause of such shopkeepers?

A. We had only gone to talk to the police about the charges against the shopkeepers. As their representatives, it was our responsibility to do so. We have not committed any crime. And before we could realise, the police — acting at the behest of our political rivals, launched a tirade against us.

Q. Several cases have been registered against you. A woman had complained that she was raped by two youths in a room in the market and you had bolted the door from outside? You have been accused of circulating fake currency? You have been booked by the police for supplying arms to rioters in Gujarat.

A. The cases are false. None of us was convicted in any case. The woman you talk about was indulging in immoral activities. We threw her out. It was then that she levelled such wild charges against us. Regarding the fake currency racket, we handed over a man trying to transact in fake currency at a shop in the market to the police. You can see the police file. You can go the public and ask about our character. We are into social work. Over 300 widows are being provided clothes and other material by us.

Q. You say you don’t indulge in any illegal activity but how come you are living like kings and own large properties. What is your source of income?

A. These are all rumours. We live a simple life. Our earnings are mainly from some of our shops in the Gur Mandi area. We have also given some shops on rent.