E-Paper
Amritpal gets 1-day parole to attend grandma’s funeral
Amritpal’s grandmother Charan Kaur, 84, died on Sunday following a prolonged illness after which the MP’s family moved a court in Amritsar, seeking his temporary release
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Khadoor Sahib MP and Waris Punjab De chief Amritpal Singh, currently lodged in Assam’s Dibrugarh Central Jail, was granted one-day custody parole by a court here on Friday to attend his grandmother’s last rites.
Amritpal’s grandmother Charan Kaur, 84, died on Sunday following a prolonged illness after which the MP’s family moved a court in Amritsar, seeking his temporary release. The mortal remains of Kaur have been kept at the family’s native village Jallupur Khera in Amritsar.
In his order, Mahesh Kumar Sharma, judge, special court, Amritsar directed the state government to ensure the participation of Amritpal in the cremation of his grandmother on November 14 for 3 hours at the cost borne by him. Harjot Singh Mann, of the legal counsels of Amritpal, said a fresh plea has been filed before the judge to extend the date of the parole to November 18. The decision on the postponement of the parole will be taken around 10 am on Saturday, he added.
“The jail authorities concerned are directed to make necessary arrangements for taking the applicant to village Jallupur Khera falling Baba Bakala Tehsil of Amritsar district on Saturday from 12 pm to 3 pm in custody so that he may attend the cremation ceremony of his grandmother and would take him back in the jail immediately after the final rites,” the judge said in his order.
After the demise of Kaur, the family had postponed her last rites, saying they will wait for Amritpal to attend the cremation. The district court had earlier permitted the jailed leader to interact with his grandmother through a 10-minute video call from Dibrugarh jail where he was currently lodged. However, the video call was not facilitated because his grandmother was critical, said Mann.
Amritpal is currently lodged in a jail in the 2023 Ajnala police station attack case. He was arrested in Moga’s Rode village on April 23, 2023, following a manhunt of over a month. Punjab Police had launched the crackdown after the February 23, 2023, Ajnala incident in which Amritpal and his supporters, some of them brandishing swords and guns, allegedly broke through barricades and barged into a police station on the outskirts of Amritsar city, and clashed with police for the release of his aides. Amritpal had fought the 2024 Lok Sabha polls as an independent and won from Khadoor Sahib.
Earlier, on the radical leader’s application for three-day parole (from Nov 14-Nov 17), the judge had sought the state government’s reply. The state had contested the application for interim bail of the accused on the ground of law and order situation, security scenario and maintenance of public order. It had prayed that in the event of grant of permission to the applicant for visit to Jallupur Khera, appropriate conditions may kindly be imposed upon him.
The court, in its order, said the permission had been granted (to Amritpal) upon humanitarian grounds to participate in the last rites of his grandmother with the following conditions:
He (Amritpal) will not visit anywhere else except his native house at Jalllupur Khera; he will not contact any prosecution witness connected with the criminal cases pending against him; he will not address to the media or public gathering; he will not meet or speak or communicate with any public person except his family members; he will not interact with any print/social/electronic media; he should not directly or indirectly do any act or activity which can prejudice the law and order situation of the state; he shall strictly abide by instructions issued by administrative authorities or police in case of any breach of peace or any other situation arises.
The entire expenses towards the transporation/ his visit to the native place and back to the jail along with the police escort shall be borne by the applicant, reads the order.
“It is further made clear that in case of violation of any such condition, the operation of this order shall vacate automatically. However, local police are at liberty to stop any unwanted gathering and to lodge the applicant back to jail in case of any untoward incident happens. Copy of this order be forwarded to jail authorities immediately for compliance”, added the order.
Senior Akali Dal (Waris Punjab De) leader and Dakha MLA Manpreet Singh Ayali lashed out at the Punjab government for putting all expenditure of the transportation of Amritpal on the family. “Who sent Amritpal to Assam jail? If Punjab Police can go to Dibrugarh to take his remand on their own expenses, why are they asking the family to bear this cost? This is quite unfair”, he added.
