E-Paper
Ludhiana: Court grants bail to Congress leader Indi, counsel moves plea for blanket protection
The Congress leader was held under preventive action hours after securing interim bail in extortion case
A local court on Tuesday granted bail to Congress leader Inderjit Singh Indi after he was detained by Division Number 8 police under preventive action.
Indi’s counsel informed the court that a plea seeking blanket protection was being moved, citing apprehensions that he could be implicated in additional cases before his scheduled regular bail hearing on April 30.
The case dates back to April 15, when police registered an FIR against Indi for allegedly assaulting a labourer engaged in road construction near Saggu Chowk. He had earlier secured interim bail in that matter.
On Monday, police added Section 308(5) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, relating to aggravated extortion, to the FIR on the basis of a statement by labourer Ramadinkar Mukhia, a native of Darbhanga, Bihar.
In his statement, Mukhia alleged that Indi had asked him to convey a message to the contractor, demanding a share in the project’s profits.
During Monday’s hearing, the court granted Indi interim bail in the extortion case as well and directed him to join the investigation. However, within hours of the order, police took him into custody under preventive provisions.
Advocate Vijay Mahendru, representing Indi, said the court on Tuesday also granted him bail in the preventive action case.
He alleged that police were targeting his client and expressed concern that fresh cases could be registered against him before the next hearing.
“The application for blanket protection is being filed to ensure that he is not taken into custody again in any new case,” the counsel said.
Police officials said the action taken was in accordance with law and part of the ongoing investigation.
