Justice Gill: Case against Bains at Sukhbir’s ‘behest’

CHANDIGARH:Recommending the cancellation of an FIR against MLA Simarjit Singh Bains after terming it as a “clear case of political vendetta”, the Justice Mehtab Singh Gill panel has asserted that former Deputy CM Sukhbir Singh Badal, it seems, was instrumental in having him arrested and tortured.

Saurabh Malik

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, October 21

Recommending the cancellation of an FIR against MLA Simarjit Singh Bains after terming it as a “clear case of political vendetta”, the Justice Mehtab Singh Gill panel has asserted that former Deputy CM Sukhbir Singh Badal, it seems, was instrumental in having him arrested and tortured.

After going though the statements of Bains and his two witnesses, the panel asserted: “The then Home Minister seems to have been instrumental in having Bains arrested and tortured. He was, at that time, a sitting member of the state Assembly. Not only was he representative of his constituency, but the president of a party.”

The observation came after Bains categorically told the panel that “it was on the asking of the then Home Minister that the then Commissioner of Police, Ludhiana, was directed to register a false case against him”.

Bains was booked for assault or criminal force to deter a public servant from the discharge of his duty and other offences under Sections 186, 332, 353, 188 and 149 of the IPC on October 21, 2015.

Bains said he and his supporters took to the streets after an incident of sacrilege took place in 2015. Bains claimed that instructions were given by him to his supporters against blocking traffic or harassing people.

The residence of the then CM was also gheraoed before he was taken to Sector 39 police station in Chandigarh and released at midnight. The next day his house in Ludhiana was surrounded by the police and he was arrested as if he was a hardcore criminal.

Bains alleged that he was victimised and maltreated by the then Akali government for criticising it for its wrongdoings. He said PS Umranangal, the then Commissioner of Police, was directed by Sukhbir to take him in custody and torture him. Justice Gill noticed that Bains’ claims were supported and corroborated by two other witnesses.

The order forms a part of the third interim report expected to be submitted early next week. Looking into more than 4,000 complaints, the commission has so far detected false implication and political vendetta in more than 62 per cent cases examined.