Fearing police action, Jalandhar MLA Sheetal Angural applies for pre-arrest bail

Tribune News Service

Deepkamal Kaur

Jalandhar, May 9

Jalandhar West MLA Sheetal Angural, who had left the AAP in March to join the BJP, has applied for bail in the Punjab and Haryana High Court, apprehending that he could be booked by the Punjab Police on account of political vendetta.

His application was heard today and the matter had been adjourned to May 15. Angural, whose resignation as MLA is yet to be accepted, today said he applied for pre-arrest bail because “the investigating agencies, acting at the behest of the ruling party, had been harassing him and calling upon him, his family members, close relative and friends”.

In the petition filed through his advocates Gagandeep Jammu and Prateek Sodhi, it has been mentioned that “since the petitioner is now a member of the BJP, the acts of the authorities of the respondent state are politically motivated. He apprehends his illegal arrest at the hands of the police without any fault and without free and fair investigation and there are serious threats with regards to his life and property. There is a reasonable apprehension that the authorities may misuse their official positions to engage in coercive actions. Also, the AAP members have harboured vengeful sentiments towards him and have openly issued threats to him”.

Angural said he was also getting threat calls from foreign numbers. He said, “I am still an MLA but the state government has cut down my security from 12 to just three men now. Since I have changed the party, the government is no longer concerned about my safety. I indeed have central security too, but it may not continue after elections.”

Those close to Angural have said he was worried that the police could embroil him in drug cases. Just a day after Angural had left the AAP along with MP Sushil Rinku (now BJP LS candidate from Jalandhar) on March 27, his picture with UK-based Manish Kumar, who had been booked days ago by the city police for using courier services to supply opium, had surfaced.

Today, ex-Chief Minister Charanjit Channi released another picture of Angural with another accused Varinder Kumar of Bhargo Camp, who had been arrested yesterday in 1.1 kg heroin recovery case. Angural and Rinku, however, deny all allegations levelled by Channi.

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