Undergoing judicial remand, Sukhpal Khaira gets 2-day police custody

Fazilka, October 10

Reviewing its own decision, the court of Judicial Magistrate First Class (JMIC), Jalalabad, today granted two-day police custody of Congress leader Sukhpal Singh Khaira in connection with a case of drug smuggling. The same court had remanded him in judicial custody for 14 days on September 30.

Today’s decision came following orders by Jagmohan Singh Sanghe, Additional District and Sessions Judge-cum-Judge, Special Court for NDPS purposes, Fazilka. Sanghe set aside the September 30 order of the JMIC, Jalalabad, refusing to grant Khaira’s police remand.

In his orders passed on Monday late evening, the judge said the remand papers were ordered to be sent back to the court concerned (JMIC) for passing fresh orders as regards the request for further police remand of the respondent (Khaira).

The court also directed that Khaira be produced in the court of JMIC, Jalalabad, on October 10. Khaira was today bought from the Nabha jail to the Jalalabad court that remanded him in police custody.

Notably, the police had filed a revision petition in the court of Sanghe on October 5 against the September 30 decision of the Jalalabad court.

Khaira was arrested from his Chandigarh residence by the Fazilka police on September 28 in connection with the 2015 drug smuggling case. He was produced in the Jalalabad court on the same day and remanded in police custody for two days, followed by judicial custody for 14 days.

Khaira’s counsel Sanjeev Kamboj said the remand was granted despite the fact that the police had failed to present the case file in the court.