Police files challan against Junior Badal in court

Faridkot, Nov 12 (UNI) The Faridkot district police have filed a challan in the court of Chief Judicial Magistrate against Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) general secretary and MP Sukhbir Singh Badal in two different cases of robbery and attempt to murder registered with the Kotkapura police on the complaints of mediapersons of the vernacular dailies.

Besides the Junior Badal, the police challan also named a BJP leader Raj Kumar of Kotkapura, a co-accused in the case. Mr Kumar who was present in the court, was released on bail on furnishing a bond of Rs 30,000.

Cases were registered against Mr Badal on the complaints of two journalists at the behest of Punjab and Haryana High Court under various sections of 392, 323, 201 and 34 IPC in June.The Court had ordered the registration of the cases after hearing a writ petition filed by a photo journalist, Ajay Verma.

The court of J S Chohan, additional chief judicial magistrate on the request by the police asked Mr Badal to appear in person before the court on November 29.

Ajay Verma in his complaint to the police had accused Mr Badal and others of thrashing him and forcibly snatching his camera while he was taking photographs of a car damaged during violence in the parliamentary election of 1999. The other case was also registered in 1999 after a Kotkapura based journalist Naresh Sehgal was allegedly assaulted by Mr Badal and others for taking photographs of booth capturing and terrorising the voters during the parliamentary elections.

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