The Tribune, Chandigarh, India

Friday, August 2, 2002, Chandigarh, India

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Police drops charges, 10 freed
Chander Parkash and Vijay Mohan
Tribune News Service

Malout, August 1
Ten activists of various Sikh organisations arrested yesterday at Malout released on bail today by the Sub-Divisional Judicial Magistrate, Ms Sukhwinder Kaur, after the police withdrew charges relating to attempt to murder and use of firearms made out against them in an FIR registered yesterday. The accused were taken to court at 5.30 p.m., but were not produced before the Magistrate as the court had adjourned for the day. Relevant documents were put up before her at her residence by the police which was 14 days’ judicial remand for the accused.

Among those arrested were head of the Khalsa Panchayat Charanjit Singh Channd, Mr Gurcharan Singh Grewal, Mr Joginder Singh, Mr Major Singh, Mr Gurcharan Singh. Mr Rajinder Singh, Mr Sharanjit Singh, Mr Kehar Singh, Mr Subegh Singh and Mr Bhupinder Singh. Mr Channi was injured yesterday and is under treatment.

The police had allegedly opened fire and resorted to a lathi charge while activists of the Dal Khalsa, the All-India Sikh Students Federation, the Khalsa Mission Committee, the United Sikh Organisation, the Khalsa Panchayat and the Khalra Dharam Parchar Committee while they were holding a demonstration in protest against an attack by Maharaja Ashutosh, head of the Divya Jyoti Jagriti Sansthan of the Noormehal sect, during the satsang at Dabwali Malko Ki village yesterday.

A number of activists were injured in the process. The Superintendent of Police, Muktsar, Mr S.S. Bhatti told TNS that the police fired rubber bullets when the demonstration turned violent.

The local MP, Mr Sukhbir Badal, who arrived here today and met the accused in police custody, criticised the state government. Speaking to mediapersons outside the city police station, he said it was virtually ‘police raj’ in Punjab and if such a situation continued, the state would return to “black days”.

The situation outside the city police station, where the accused were lodged, as well as the local courts was tense, with heavy police deployment. The Muktsar Deputy Commissioner, Ms Usha R. Sharma, and Senior Superintendent of Police, Mr K.J.S. Pannu, as well as the Deputy Inspector-General, Ferozepore Range, Mr R.P. Meena, remained at Malout today.

Slogans were raised by Akali workers against the Punjab Chief Minister, Capt Amarinder Singh, as well as the Muktsar SSP, Mr Pannu, while the accused were being taken to the courts.

When the Magistrate asked the investigating officer as to why the accused were produced two hours after the expiry of the 24-hour deadline, Mr Navkiran Singh, an advocate and human rights activist who appeared before the Magistrate, urged her to seek an explanation from the police for keeping the Akali activists in “illegal confinement”.

Meanwhile, senior vice-president of the AISSF Surinder Singh Sultanwind, who was present here, said if the government did not withdraw “false” cases against those arrested yesterday, the federation would launch a statewide agitation and not allow any college and school to function.

Amarinder expresses shock over firing
Tribune News Service

New Delhi, August 1
The Punjab Chief Minister, Capt Amarinder Singh, today expressed shock over the police firing in a protest against the alleged provocative speeches of the head of the Divya Jyoti Jagriti Sansthan of the Noormehal sect and directed the police to release the 15 person rounded up by them.

The Chief Minister also constituted a four-member committee under the chairmanship of Mr N.S.Rattan, Principal Secretary Higher Education to go into the allegations and submit a report within 15 days.

The other members of the committee are Dr J.S.Neki, former head of the PGI and Heads of Department of religious studies, Punjabi University, Patiala and Guru Nanak Dev University, Amritsar.

The Chief Minister said any religious sect had full independence in the country to preach what it wanted to promote its faith, but nobody or no sect had the right to speak in a derogatory fashion or cast aspersions at any sect or other religious bodies or beliefs. Any such act would be dealt with in as severe manner as possible in Punjab.

Bhunder seeks anticipatory bail
Tribune News Service

Mansa, August 1
Mr Balwinder Singh Bhunder, MLA and SAD general secretary, today applied for anticipatory bail in the court of the Additional Sessions Judge, Mr Harbans Lal, though no criminal case has been registered against him so far.

Information gathered by TNS revealed that Mr Harbans Lal had issued a notice to the state for August 5 in connection with the anticipatory bail application moved by Mr Bhunder. It will be seen whether the application can be considered before the registration of a case. Mrs Bhunder, when contacted at Chandigarh, confirmed that her husband had applied for anticipatory bail.