Bail given to five dera followers in ‘bir’ theft case

FARIDKOT: A Faridkot court on Monday granted bail to five Dera Sacha Sauda followers that the Special Investigation Team (SIT) probing sacrilege cases in connection with a case of theft of a bir of Guru Granth Sahib had arrested.

The ‘bir’ was stolen from Burj Jawahar Singh Wala village gurdwara on June 1, 2015. An FIR was registered the next day at the Bajakhana police station. On October 12, 2015, torn pages of the ‘bir’ were found scattered in front of a gurdwara in the adjoining Bargari village, resulting in statewide protests and the killing of two Sikh protesters in firing.

On Monday, the court of duty magistrate Suresh Kumar allowed the bail applications of Nishan Singh and Ranjit Singh, alias, Bhola, both of Kotkapura; Baljit Singh of Sikhanwala village, Randeep Singh, alias Neela, and Narinder Sharma, both of Faridkot, and ordered their release. They were lodged in Bathinda jail.

Dera followers’ counsel Vinod Monga argued that there was not even an iota of evidence to connect the accused with the alleged crime. He added that none of the accused was named in the FIR and investigation was handed over to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).

District attorney Rajnish Goyal opposed the bail application of the accused on the grounds that arrest of other co-accused namely Harsh Dhuri, Sandeep Bareta and Pardeep Kler is pending. The court, however, allowed the bail applications.

The SIT, led by DIG Ranbir Singh Khatra, on July 4, had arrested seven dera followers in Faridkot district. Later on July 6, SIT filed a charge-sheet in against 11 persons.

KOTKAPURA FIRING: HC GRANTS INTERIM BAIL TO EX-DSP BALJIT

CHANDIGARH/FARIDKOT: The Punjab and Haryana high court on Monday granted interim bail to then Kotkapura DSP Baljit Singh in FIR (192) registered on October 14, 2015, in connection with the Kotkapura firing incident.

Granting interim bail to Baljit Singh, justice Anil Kshetarpal stated in the order that he will join investigation on July 29 at 10am. “In the meantime, in the event of arrest, the petitioner shall be released on interim bail. The petitioner shall join the investigation as and when called upon to do so,” he stated. The matter was adjourned to July 31. The special investigation team (SIT) probing the 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, earlier, this month but it was dismissed.