NO COERCIVE ACTION AGAINST BAGGA TILL MAY 10, SAYS HC

CHANDIGARH/DELHI: The Punjab and Haryana high court on Saturday night stayed the arrest of Bharatiya Janata Party youth wing leader Tajinder Pal Singh Bagga after a local court in Mohali issued an arrest warrant against him. The move came a day after Bagga was arrested by the Punjab Police in connection with a case regarding provocative statements and criminal intimidation but was taken back to Capital by the Delhi Police after the Haryana Police stopped the Punjab Police team midway in Kurukshetra.

During an urgent late-night hearing at justice Anoop Chitkara’s house, the Punjab and Haryana high court stayed the arrest of the BJP leader till May 10, the next date of hearing.

Earlier in the day, Mohali judicial magistrate Ravtesh Inderjit Singh ordered the Punjab Police’s cyber crime cell to arrest Bagga and produce him before the court. The court fixed May 23 as the next date of hearing. But, the high court said no coercive action could be taken against the BJP leader till May 10. “Whereas Tajinder Pal Singh Bagga, stands charged with the offence punishable under Sections 153-A, 505, 505 (2), 506 IPC. You are hereby directed to arrest the said Tajinder Pal Singh Bagga and to produce him before me. Herein fail not,” the Mohali magistrate said in his order.

The court’s order came on a fresh application filed by the Punjab Police seeking warrant against Bagga. In its petition, the police said that it had sent five notices to Bagga, asking him to join the investigation.

Sukhraj Singh, DSP City-1 said that the application was filed in the Mohali court and all facts regarding incidents in Delhi were presented before the court after which the court issued the arrest warrants. Bagga was booked on April 1 on charges of making provocative statements, promoting enmity and criminal intimidation on complaint of an AAP leader.

With inputs by Karn Pratap Singh