Amritsar, September 18
In a major setback to the SAD, the Amritsar Police today arrested Mr Baldev Singh, an SGPC member who was indicted for molesting the wife of a visually-challenged raagi, here today.
He was indicted in the preliminary inquiry conducted by the SP (Detective), Mr Makhan Singh. Earlier, the two-member fact-finding committee of the SAD (Amritsar) comprising Mr Daya Singh Kakkar and Mr Baldev Singh Sirsa had found the SGPC member guilty of molestation.
Though Ms Manjit Kaur, wife of an assistant raagi of the SGPC, had lodged an FIR with the Chhehrta police station on September 7, it took 11 days to arrest him. Instead of surrendering before the police, Mr Baldev Singh continued to perform ‘Dhadi Darbars’ in front of Akal Takht and Darbar Sahib, Tarn Taran. Mr Gurjatinder Singh Bhikhiwind, general secretary of the Shiromani Akali Dal (Amritsar), said it was shocking that Mr Badal had accepted Siropa from the accused at Darbar Sahib Tarn Taran.
The case was registered under Sections 354 and 506 of the IPC against the accused. When the police failed to arrest him even after 10 days of the registration of the FIR, visually-challenged persons held a demonstration in front of the Chhehrta police station.
The victim, in the FIR had alleged that Mr Baldev Singh had called on her on September 5 and enquired about her husband’s whereabouts. She claimed that when the SGPC member learnt that her husband was away on official duty, he barged into the house after some time and molested her. She alleged that the SGPC member had fled when her cousin Sukhwinder Singh also happened to drop by. The accused fled in the official Qualis of the SGPC.
Instead of holding an inquiry, senior Akali leaders rallied round the accused and claimed that he was being framed under “deep-rooted” political conspiracy. So much so, senior leaders, including Dr Rattan Singh Ajnala and Mr Veer Singh Lopoke, Akali MP and MLA, respectively, held a press conference in his favour yesterday which reportedly irked the police and led to immediate arrest of the SGPC member.
Though the victim had approached Akal Takht for justice, the Jathedar went abroad instead of taking any decision on the number of petitions filed against the SGPC member. What is worse, the SGPC member held a ‘Dhadi darbar’ outside Akal Takht.
Mr Harmanbir Singh Gill, SP (City II), said Mr Baldev Singh was arrested from his residence and later produced in the court which sent him in judicial custody till October 1.
