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Court throws out
police claims, acquits Bhai Daljit Singh
WSN Bureau
 BARNALA:
In a significant decision, a court in Barnala listened to hours of
concocted evidence and arguments against Akali Dal (Panch Pardhani)
leader Bhai Daljit Singh Bittu, then disregarded the entire plethora
of claims and ordered immediate acquittal of the panthic leader.
Bhai Bittu was
accused of inciting the people with a speech when, in fact, he was
part of a widespread mass movement against forcible land acquisition
by the government which wanted to evict poor Sikh and other farmers
and hand over the land to the corporate house, Trident group.
Arguing the case
in the court of Additional District and Sessions Judge Vivek Puri,
Bittu’s counsel Rajdev Singh Khalsa, a former MP from Sangrur,
argued that since he was not identified by anyone in the case and
his utterances did not challenge the sovereignty of the nation, the
charges slapped on him were false and were politically motivated.
The case had
roots in a 2006 protest in Fatehgarh Chhanna village against land
acquisition by the Trident group.
Of course, Bhai
Bittu was a key leader who had severely criticized the government
for the forcible acquisition at the behest of a local industrial
house.
After hearing
the trial and recording the evidence by witnesses in the case, the
judge set aside the police claims and ordered his acquittal from the
case. The decision is a slap in the face of the police who has been
continuously harassing the panthic leader.
Bhai Bittu is
currently in jail in judicial custody as he has been embroiled in
cases related to alleged murder attempt on a Dera Sirsa follower and
for connections with some militant. It is widely believed that
Punjab's
Prakash Singh Badal government was getting worried about the
popularity of Bhai Bittu and wanted to frustrate his efforts at
operating within the democratic polity.
18
November 2009
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