For picking fruit in court complex, 3 land in jail

Tribune News Service

Faridkot, July 13

For the offence of picking some 'jamun' fruit from a tree in the district court complex here, two jhuggi-dwelling migrant teenagers have had to spent four days in a juvenile home here. 

While these teenagers today got bail after four days of arrest, their "accomplice" — a 19-year-old youth — is still languishing in jail here.

These three migrant youths were arrested by the police on July 9 when they were picking ripe fruits from the trees. The Faridkot district and mini secretariat complex has hundreds of 'jamun' trees which are given on annual lease at the time of ripening.

On the complaint of Daljinder Singh, a peon in the court complex, these alleged fruit pickers were booked by the police for the offence of theft. 

While 19-year-old youth Gautam was sent to judicial custody, two minors — 15 and 17 years of age — were sent to Juvenile Home, Faridkot.

In the case of the two teenagers who were granted bail by the Chief Judicial Magistrate, Faridkot, their families had no property to furnish as bail surety to get the boys' release orders.

So in the evening, the court ordered their parents to furnish personal surety bonds to get the custody of these accused.

According to the complaint made to the police by the peon in the court complex, the accused were picking fruit for commercial use which is an illegal act.