6 yrs on, HC grants bail in preacher murder-bid case

Chandigarh, February 28

The Punjab and Haryana High Court today granted regular bail to Sukhwinder Singh alleged to be “one of those persons, who had fired at preacher Ranjit Singh Dhadhrianwale”.

Justice Sudhir Mittal made it clear that expeditious decision of a trial was one of the basic tenets of criminal justice. If not followed, it resulted in violation of the right to life of the petitioner enshrined in Article 21 of the Constitution. The petitioner, through counsel Salil Dev Singh Bali, was seeking bail in the case registered at PAU police station in Ludhiana distric.

Justice Mittal asserted that the state counsel on being asked submitted that he had no instructions regarding any threat perception against him. The facts clearly showed that the petitioner had been in custody for over six years and nine months. The trial was not likely to be concluded at an early date keeping in view the number of witnesses that had been examined till date. “Assuming that the petitioner is the main accused and had shot at him, he cannot be deprived of his liberty indefinitely,” Justice Mittal added.