Court grants anticipatory bail to Sukhbir Badal

Faridkot, Aug 30 (UNI) A local court has granted anticipatory bail to Shiromani Akali Dal (Badal) general secretary and Faridkot MP Sukhbir Singh Badal and stayed his arrest till September four.

The SAD general secretary moved the court of additional district and sessions judge yesterday for anticipatory bail in a case of alleged beating up a journalist, which also involves present Ludhiana SSP A S Rai.

The court granted him interim relief till September four. The district police have been summoned for producing the record in connection with the case, which was registered on June 16 on the directions of the High Court. Besides Sukhbir and his two political supporters, the Faridkot police had booked SSP Ludhiana A S Rai and Balbir Singh Khaira, an SP rank officer of the Punjab Police.

Ajay Verma, a photo journalist of a vernacular daily, had moved the Punjab and Haryana High Court as the Faridkot police had allegedly failed to take any action against the accused who allegedly manhandled him on September 5, 1999.

UNI XC DP MSJ DS1455