Daljit Bittu remanded in police custody in sedition case

Barnala, Apr 21 (UNI) A local court today remanded Shiromani Khalsa Dal president and ex-militant Daljit Singh Bittu in police custody for a single day on the charges of sedition under sections 124A and 153 A of the IPC.

Mr Bittu, who was whisked away by the Barnala police from his residence in Ludhiana last night, was presented in the court of Barnala Additional Civl Judge Ajaib Singh after the case under the said sections was registered against him at the Dhanaula police station in Sangrur district.

Neary 200 Shiromani Khalsa Dal activists, accompanied by SGPC members Nirmal Singh and Harcharan Sngh, raised anti-government and anti-Punjab Police slogans in the court complex, while the hearing was being conducted in the court.

Mr Bittu, who would be produced in the court tomorrow for further hearing, has been accused of sedition in context of his visit to Fatehgarh Chhanna village, where he addressed the farmers, whose land had been occupied by the Trident Group of Industries.

He had also reportedly screened a documentary film 'Mitti Meri Maa' (My Motherland) at the village, where the farmers had been protesting against the occupation of their land by the Trident Group.

The screening of this particular documentary film was objectionable to the state police as it contained the scenes of the public meetings of the slain militant leader Jarnail Singh Bhindrawale, who had died in Operation Blue Star in 1984 at the Golden Temple, a senior police official said after the court proceedings.

The FIR against Mr Bittu was lodged at 0230 hrs at the Dhanaula police station, while he was whisked away by the cops last night from his Ludhiana residence.

UNI XC/PS AD BST1837