Case against Sukhbir Singh Badal: proceedings stayed

Chandigarh, Sep 9 (UNI) Punjab and Haryana High Court today stayed the proceedings now in progress at the trial court at Faridkot, wherein complainant scribe Naresh Kumar Sehgal of Kotkapura had alleged that an attempt to murder him was being made during the 1999 Lok Sabha general elections at the behest of present Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) president Sukhbir Singh Badal.

The case was registered under Sections 307, 392, 323, 327, 120-B, IPC, at police station Kotkapura on June 30, 2006, after the intervention of the High Court.

This was ordered by Justice Ranjit Singh on a plea by petitioner Sehgal who felt a fair trial was not possible due to the influence and the position of the accused, who happened to be the president of the ruling SAD. In this context, Justice Ranjit Singh had also sought the comments of the trial court in the background of complainant's apprehensions.

The petitioner had also submitted that he was kept off the court premises at the trial court when witnesses were examined. Also, most of the important witnesses had been left out because the public prosecutor was under the influence of the present regime and the accused Sukhbir Singh Badal was the president of the ruling party.

The court issued notice for September 24 on the complainant's application and also gave him the liberty to move an application for the transfer of case outside Faridkot, if he so desired. The petitioner scribe had already sought a CBI probe in the matter.

UNI XC HS SBC CS2126