Bail for man who prayed in gurdwara for dera chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim’s release

Chandigarh, July 29

The Punjab and Haryana High Court has granted bail to a person accused of praising the dera head and praying for his early release while performing ardas at a gurdwara. It was alleged the religious sentiments of a particular community were hurt with such an ardas.

The matter was brought to the High Court’s notice after Gurmail Singh filed a petition for regular bail in an FIR registered for hurting religious sentiments on May 20 under Section 295A of the IPC at the Sadar police station in Bathinda. Justice Avneesh Jhingan observed the FIR was a result of a complaint alleging that a prayer was offered in the gurdwara “making praises of the head of a dera and for his early release”. The investigation regarding the petitioner was complete and the challan stood presented. The petitioner had no criminal antecedents. The case was of magisterial trial. The evidence by way of a video clip circulated on social medial was already with the investigating agency. In the facts and circumstances of the case, no useful purpose would be served by depriving personal liberty of the petitioner, the High Court said. — TNS