CBI to challenge HC order in Bargari case

ON JULY 4, THE CBI HAD FILED THE CLOSURE REPORT GIVING A CLEAN CHIT TO THREE DERA FOLLOWERS

MOHALI: Ten months after the Punjab and Haryana high court dismissed petitions challenging the withdrawal of consent by the Punjab government in the Bargari sacrilege cases, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) wants to challenge the order.

During the resumed hearing on the application before CBI special magistrate, Mohali, GS Sekhon, to keep in abeyance the closure report in the three Bargari sacrilege cases, the investigating agency on Wednesday told the court that the CBI had decided to challenge the high court order.

On July 4, the CBI filed the closure report, giving a clean chit to dera followers Mohinder Pal Bittu, who was murdered in Nabha jail; Sukhjinder Singh, alias Sunny; and Shakti Singh, in the three cases of sacrilege, including the theft of a ‘bir’ of Guru Granth Sahib from Burj Jawahar Singh Wala village on June 1, 2015; putting up of handwritten posters in Bargari and Burj Jawahar Singh Wala on September 25; and torn pages of the ‘bir’ found at Bargari on October 12.

Referring to the Punjab and Haryana high court order of January 25 that dismissed petitions challenging the withdrawal of consent, the CBI told the court, “It is decided to challenge the order. The matter for seeking permission of the Union government is in process.”

The high court had dismissed the petition, saying the chain of events shows that the three cases are linked so the court “does not feel the necessity to interfere in the decision of the state government to withdraw investigation from the CBI or set aside consequent notifications”.

The CBI said, “The order suffers from legal infirmities.” It urged the court to keep the protest petitions, replies of the state government of Punjab, complainants and others in abeyance till the proposed petition by the CBI is adjudicated by the Supreme Court. The court had also sought status report from CBI while adjourning the hearing to January 8.

‘FORMER MLA HAS NO LOCUS STANDI’

The court has dismissed the application of Harbans Singh Jalal, former MLA from Rampura Phul in Bathinda, urging the court to implead him as a party before deciding on the closure report filed by the CBI as there were many discrepancies.

He had told the court that he had spoken to the residents after the sacrilege and could share important information with the court.