Punjab and Haryana High Court grants bail to DSP in NDPS case

Chandigarh, February 7

The Punjab and Haryana High Court has granted bail to Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Lakhbir Singh and two others in a case registered in June last year under provisions of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act and the Prevention of Corruption Act at the Bhikhiwind police station in Tarn Taran district.

Lakhbir Singh has been a member of the special investigation team probing the case related to the sacrilege at Bargari and at Burj Jwahar Singh Wala in Faridkot district. Appearing before Justice Gurvinder Singh Gill’s Bench, senior counsel HS Brar and advocates Gaurav Dutta and Sumeet Pal Singh Sidhu contended on Lakhbir Singh’s behalf that the DSP was a victim of departmental jealousies.

Justice Gill’s Bench was also told about “disclosure statements” against him that some money was to be paid for extending protection to an accused. Apart from the same, there was no other evidence to connect him with the “alleged allegations” of drug-peddling or any kind of illegal protection to the accused.

Among other things, Justice Gill observed that the court in any case could not lose sight of the fact that petitioner Lakhbir Singh had also been behind bars for the past nearly seven months. The conclusion of the trial was likely to consume time as it had not even commenced. As many as 37 prosecution witnesses had been cited.