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{Khalistan referendum poster case} Court acquits 2, points to ‘shoddy’ police probe
The court of additional sessions judge (Mohali) Baljinder Singh Sra acquitted Gurpreet Singh of Sector 80, Mohali, in whose printing press those posters were allegedly printed, and Harpuneet Singh, alias Honey, of Mussa Chowk in Jammu, said to be Pannu’s accomplice.
A local court acquitted two men, including an “accomplice” of separatist leader Gurpatwant Singh Pannu, who had been arrested in a case of pasting of posters regarding Punjab independence (Khalistan) referendum in Mohali in 2017. The court of additional sessions judge (Mohali) Baljinder Singh Sra acquitted Gurpreet Singh of Sector 80, Mohali, in whose printing press those posters were allegedly printed, and Harpuneet Singh, alias Honey, of Mussa Chowk in Jammu, said to be Pannu’s accomplice.
The case
On July 6, 2017, the police received a “secret” information regarding posters near religious sites in various locations across Punjab, including one near a college in Landran of Mohali. These posters read ‘Punjab Independence Referendum’. According to the police, it traced the link to Gurpatwant Singh Pannu, legal adviser of ‘Sikhs for Justice’, along with Jagdeep Singh, also known as Baba Jag Singh, and Jagjeet Singh — both residents of New York. According to the prosecution, their local operative Harpuneet Singh of Jammu managed the printing through SK Publicity Printing Press being operated by Gurpreet Singh in Phase-5, Industrial Area, Mohali.
The posters, according to the police, were deemed capable of inciting hostility between Hindus and Sikhs, potentially disturbing Punjab’s peace and misleading Sikh youth toward the separatist ideology.
Inspector Atul Soni, incharge of the CIA staff, had got a case registered against both under Sections 124A, 153A, 153B and 120B of the Indian Penal Code following which Gurpreet Singh was arrested from his shop. Later, the co-accused was caught in Jammu on January 6, 2017. The prosecution had contended that an analysis revealed the presence of the same poster in a laptop seized from the premises of Gurpreet Singh.
The chinks
Accused’s counsel Amar Singh averred that the case was based on secret information and there was no CCTV footage connecting the accused with the case. While acquitting the accused, the court considered that DSP Atul Soni, who was then incharge of Mohali CIA, did not examine the laptop or the computer at the spot and did not gather any evidence to indicate that laptop and computer were owned by Gurpreet Singh.
Moreover, Sarmanpreet Kaur, legal clerk, press I, Punjab home department branch, Chandigarh, was examined by the prosecution to prove the sanction granted by the then additional chief home secretary Nirmaljit Kalsi. She then identified the signatures of the sanctioning authority. During cross-examination, she testified that she was not in service when the sanction was granted and that she never worked with the then Nirmaljit Kalsi, the court noted.
The court however pronounced that there was no cogent and convincing evidence brought on record against the accused. “There are gaping holes in the prosecution case. The prosecution has miserably failed to prove the charged offences,” the court added.
