Ex-Speaker Rana KP summoned in defamation case

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Anandpur Sahib, March 29

A local court has issued orders to summon former Speaker Rana KP Singh to face trial in a case filed by father of Cabinet Minister Harjot Singh Bains on charges of defamation.

Sub divisional Judicial Magistrate Jagmilap Singh Khushdil in his order stated that prima-facie a case punishable under Sections 500 and 506 of the IPC is made out against the accused, in view of the evidence led by the complainant at pre-summoning stage.

The minister’s father Sohan Singh in the complaint had alleged that when his son Harjot Singh Bains, a practicing advocate, was contesting the elections from Anandpur Sahib Assembly constituency, Kanwar Pal Singh Rana, belonging to the Congress party and contesting from the same constituency used defamatory words against his son in a public meeting on February 2 last year at Dasgrain village.

He also used various defamatory words against him and his son on his official Facebook page “Rana KP Singh” by going live on the said page. Rana had stated that “The Bar license of Harjot Bains is cancelled” and used defamatory words that “His family is dacoit” and involved in a dacoity at a petrol pump, he alleged.

Rana in a live video had also claimed that “he is a fraud person and used to prepare a forged RC and he was convicted for two years by a Ludhiana court”, alleged Sohan Singh in his complaint. Rana also threatened that he would teach a lesson to the complainant and his son, it was alleged.

The court in its order observed that the remarks made by the accused apparently are not for the public good at the very outset, nor they are opinion of the conduct of a public servant in discharge of his public function. Further, they are not expression in good faith respecting the conduct of any person touching any public question. Further, they are apparently not made in good faith regarding the conduct of the complainant in court proceedings.