Charges framed against exAkali MLA Valtoha
TARN TARAN : A local court has framed charges against former Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) Khemkaran MLA and a spokesperson of Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) Virsa Singh Valtoha for allegedly threatening the then Tarn Taran deputy commissioner DPS Kharbanda in June 2017.
: A local court has framed charges against former Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) Khemkaran MLA and a spokesperson of Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) Virsa Singh Valtoha for allegedly threatening the then Tarn Taran deputy commissioner DPS Kharbanda in June 2017.
Kharbanda is now director, industries and commerce, Punjab.
Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee (PPCC) Tejpreet Singh Peter Sandhu had lodged the complaint before the then SSP Harjit Singh, on the basis of a video that had gone viral on social media.
Tarn Taran Sadar police had filed a daily diary report (DDR) under section 189 (threat of injury to public servant) after the surfacing of the video that had been recorded on June 12, 2017.
The video purportedly shows Valtoha threatening the then Tarn Taran DC and SHOs of dire consequences for ‘harassing’ his party workers, who were sitting on a dharna outside DC office.
“To all those officers who are working on the instructions of the Congress to harass us on any issue, stop doing this. We know how to settle this for one and all. I warn the Tarn Taran DC, and then we won’t forgive you. Let me also ask the Akali Dal MLAs to inform me of any disturbance by any SHO to summon us or harass us for any probe. I will take care of them all,” Valtoha is allegedly seen as saying.
On Thursday, Valtoha had appeared before the court of additional chief judicial magistrate (ACJM) Amandeep Kaur with his lawyer JS Dhillon. The complainant had appeared with his lawyer, Navjot Kaur Chabba.
Chabba told HT that after hearing both the sides, the judge framed charges against Valtoha and scheduled October 11 as the next date. She said, “The SAD leader’s discharge application was rejected.”
Valtoha said, “Due to the Congress government’s pressure, previously I had been booked under many sections, besides 189. Now, the court has removed other charges. I have full faith in the judiciary. I am sure I will be acquitted during trial.”