Ex-Jalandhar mayor Sehgal surrenders
Former SAD mayor had thrashed a building branch official on November 20, last year
JALANDHAR: In a major setback to former Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) mayor Suresh Sehgal, who was expecting respite in the building branch official assault case, the chief judicial magistrate rejected his bail plea on Wednesday and sent him to judicial custody until next hearing on January 30.
Sehgal had surrendered before the court of chief judicial magistrate (CJM) Ashish Abrol on Wednesday after the Supreme Court in its order on January 11, had directed him to surrender before the trial court within a week. Reacting on the judgement, complainants' lawyer advocate Brijesh Bakshi, said, “To prevent his influence on the ongoing police investigation and existing evidence against him, Suresh Sehgal has been sent to judicial custody.”
Notably, Punjab and Haryana high court had last month rejected his anticipatory bail plea on December 17 in the assault case. Sehgal got in trouble after he assaulted a building branch inspector Dinesh Joshi, who had gone to check illegal construction in Ward 54 on November 20.
The video clip of the incident that went viral was crucial in rejection of his bail peal in the high court.
Following the incident, a case was registered under Sections 353 (assault or criminal force to deter public servant from discharge of his duty), 186 (obstructing public servant in discharge of public functions), 332 (voluntarily causing hurt to deter public servant from his duty) and 506 (punishment for criminal intimidation) of the IPC in the division number 3 police station against Sehgal and two residents of the ward.
The former mayor, then, approached the high court seeking bail. The court granted the bail asking Sehgal to join investigation on November 15 which was later rejected in the following hearings.
“The manner in which the building branch inspector was beaten repeatedly and abused, prima facie, it appears that the complainant took law in his hands and has no fear of the law. Let the petitioner surrender and obtain regular bail. Present anticipatory bail accordingly is dismissed,” read the high court order of December 17.
Former Mayor then moved to apex court challenging HC judgment. The SC had, however, declined to interfere with the order passed by the high court.
Earlier, the officials of the civic body have boycotted work for over a fortnight, demanding Sehgal’s arrest.
“It is a big day for all the government officials who have to face such embarrassment. Today’s judgement will be an example to those who take law in their hand,”said Dinesh Joshi.