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‘Hurting religious sentiments’: HC grants anticipatory bail to BJP leader Sukhpal Sran
The case involves an alleged ardas praising PM for declaring that a Dalit would be chief minister of Punjab
The Punjab and Haryana high court has granted anticipatory bail to BJP’s Punjab secretary Sukhpal Singh Sran in an alleged case of hurting religious sentiments and promoting religious enmity.
The FIR in the case was registered on May 20 at the Bathinda (Sadar) police station. The complainant, Harpal Singh Khara, a lawyer who had released a video over the alleged incident, said Sran visited a granthi on May 19 and 20 and made him do an ardas at the Bir Talaab gurdwara in Bathinda. The ardas allegedly praised Prime Minister Narendra Modi for declaring that a Dalit would be chief minister of Punjab and also demanding release of Dera Sacha Sauda head Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh from jail.
Sran had told the court that he had been implicated in the FIR and four FIRs were registered against him by the state’s ruling party with political vendetta on mind.
He had claimed that the Congress wanted to humiliate him by effecting his arrest and that he met the granthi who showed interest in joining the BJP. He also denied that he uploaded the video in question and assured that he was willing to join probe.
The court while adjourning the case for July 28 directed Sran to join the investigation as and when called by the police. The authorities have also been directed that he be released on bail in the event of his arrest.
