Three ''Panch Pardhani'' leaders released from jail

Patiala, Feb 14 (PTI) Former General Secretary of SikhStudents Federation Jaspal Singh Manjhpur and two otheractivists of the Panch Pardhani were today released from thehigh security jail in Nabha area here.

Manjhput and the other activists - Palwinder SinghShutrana and Gurdeep Singh Raju - were released on bailgranted by Justice Ajay Tiwari of the Punjab and Haryana HighCourt.

Manjhpur, who currently holds the office of mediasecretary of SAD (Panch Pardhani), was arrested with partychairman Daljeet Singh and others in August 2009 and wasfacing charges under the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act(UAPA) 1967.

He had contested the Punjab Assembly elections in 2007from Tanda constituency on SAD (Amritsar) ticket.

"During eighteen months of our detention prosecution hasdrastically failed to produce any thing incriminating againstus," said Manjhpur, alleging that charges were framed againstthem solely to serve political ends of the ruling SAD (Badal).

He maintained that UAPA 1967, as amended in December2008 after the 26/11 attacks in Mumbai, is masked revival ofblack laws like TADA and POTA and is being misused to suppresspolitical opponents.