HC stays arrest of then Kotkapura DSP in 2015 firing

THE POLICE OFFICER MOVED THE HIGH COURT AFTER HIS ANTICIPATORY BAIL PLEA WAS REJECTED BY THE FARIDKOT DISTRICT AND SESSIONS COURT LAST WEEK

FARIDKOT/CHANDIGARH: A day after a Faridkot court issued arrest warrant against then Kotkapura deputy superintendent of police (DSP) Baljit Singh, Punjab and Haryana high court on Wednesday stayed his arrest till further orders in an FIR registered in connection with the 2015 Kotkapura firing incident.

While issuing notice to the Punjab government, the court of justice Tejinder Singh Dhindsa said that he be not arrested till next date of hearing on July 27. The court acted on the plea of Baljit Singh, seeking pre-arrest bail in the FIR registered on October 14, 2015. He had argued that the entire gamut of allegations has already been gone into in another FIR registered on August 7, 2018, at Kotkapura against him as well as other accused in which challan too has been filed.

He had cited challan report submitted in the 2018 FIR to buttress his claims and further submitted that all through he had been associating with the special investigation team (SIT) and would continue to do so in the future.

The SIT probing 2015 police firing incidents had summoned Baljit to join investigation on a couple of occasions but he had failed to appear. Fearing arrest, he had moved an anticipatory bail plea in the court of District and Sessions court at Faridkot last week but it was dismissed. On Monday, the district court had allowed an application for his arrest filed by SIT.

BIR THEFT: DERA FOLLOWERS FILE BAIL PLEA

Five dera Sacha Sauda followers arrested in a case of theft of a bir (copy) of Guru Granth Sahib in 2015, on Wednesday filed bail applications in the Faridkot court.

The court of duty magistrate Suresh Kumar listed the matter for July 24.

On July 4, deputy inspector general (DIG) Ranbir Singh Khatra-led SIT arrested seven dera followers in the case of theft of a bir of Guru Granth Sahib in 2015. However, Sukjinder Singh and Shakti Singh were released as they were already got bail from a Mohali court. While Nishan Singh and Ranjit Singh alias Bhola, Baljit Singh, Randeep Singh and Narinder Sharma are lodged in Bathinda jail in judicial custody.