HC orders Bathinda IG to explain murder charges made over man still alive

: Punjab and Haryana high court has asked Bathinda range Inspector General (IG) of police to appear before it and explain how a man was booked for murder under Section 302 of Indian Penal Code even though no loss of life took place.

The court of Anupinder Singh Grewal in its order on December 3 asked Bathinda range IG Arun Kumar Mittal to be present in court on the next date of hearing on December 10 on petition of Jaskaran Singh Dhillon of Kotbhara village.

The court also granted interim bail to Dhillon who is lodged in Bathinda central jail in the case. Police have already filed a charge sheet in the case invoking Section 302 (murder) of IPC.

The court, in an earlier hearing on November 6, had asked senior superintendent of police (SSP) Bathinda, Nanak Singh to file a reply in this regard, as to how Section 302 of IPC was invoked against petitioner Jaskaran Singh. The court found the SSP’s reply in the form of an affidavit as vague and nebulous and not according to the terms of HC order, following which the court has asked the IG to appear before it.

The court, in an earlier hearing on November 6, had asked senior superintendent of police (SSP) Bathinda, Nanak Singh to file a reply in this regard, as to how Section 302 of IPC was invoked against petitioner Jaskaran Singh. The court found the SSP’s reply in the form of an affidavit as vague and nebulous and not terms of order of the court following which the court has asked the IG to appear before it.

It was on the complaint of constable Ranjit Singh of Bathinda police, that a case under Section 115 (abetment of offence punishable with death or imprisonment for life) and 302 (murder) of IPC was registered against Dhillon on August 20.

How it began

Dhillon, on his facebook account, had written that he would reward anyone who would kill Ranjit Singh with Rs21, 000. Thereafter, a case was registered against Dhillon. His facebook post came after a clash took place between Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) Bathinda unit president Navdeep Singh Jeeda a lawyer by profession and Ranjit Singh on August 17 morning. The video of Jeeda allegedly manhandling cop had gone viral on social media, after which a case was registered against Jeeda. Soon after, a case was also registered against the cop after five days as lawyers resorted to daily protests outside Bathinda SSP’s office and a video that showed the cop and others attacking Jeeda.