E-Paper
Ajnala police station attack: HC dismisses bail plea of 2 accused
“On the strength of an unholy mob, no citizen of this country can be allowed to either interfere in the administration of justice, or, to cause injury(ies) to public authority(ies), while them being discharging their public duty,” the bench observed asking trial court to speed up the trial.
The Punjab and Haryana high court has dismissed bail plea of two accused in February Ajnala police station attack observing that no citizen can be allowed to attack officials on duty.
The high court bench of justice Kuldeep Tiwari was hearing bail pleas of Bhupinder Singh and Ajaypal Singh, both arrayed as accused by the police.
On February 23, a mob led by Waris Punjab De chief Amritpal Singh attacked the police station. The mob turned violent and besides inflicting injuries to senior police officials, up to the rank of superintendent of police, with sharp-edged weapons, the mob also vandalised government property.
“On the strength of an unholy mob, no citizen of this country can be allowed to either interfere in the administration of justice, or, to cause injury(ies) to public authority(ies), while them being discharging their public duty,” the bench observed asking trial court to speed up the trial.
The duo had argued that they had been behind the bars for eight months now. Beside other arguments, it was also submitted that there was a delay in registration of an FIR and that their presence had not been established.
The court took note of the fact that after perpetration of violence by mobsters in the “horrifying” attack, wherein many officials of Punjab Police had suffered injuries, a massive operation was conducted by the police and central government forces. Amritpal Singh, also an accused in the FIR, was arrested and is now lodged in Dibrugarh jail under the National Security Act.
It further observed that there are categoric allegations against the duo that they broke the barricading of the police and inflicted injuries to police personnel. “…considering the gravity of the offences, this court is not inclined to release the petitioner(s) on regular bail, merely because he has suffered incarceration of eight months,” the court said dismissing both the pleas.
