Defamation case: LIP’s Bains appears in court after non-bailable warrants, gets bail
Lok Insaaf Party (LIP) president and Atam Nagar MLA Simarjeet Singh Bains on Tuesday appeared in a Patiala court after he was issued non-bailable warrants in a defamation case filed by Punjab local bodies minister Brahm Mohindra.
The court of judicial magistrate Nidhi Saini granted bail to the MLA and fixed March 6 as the next date of hearing.
Saini had issued summons to Bains on February 14 after recording Mohindra’s statement.
On August 1, 2018, Mohindra had filed a defamation suit against the LIP leader. In a press conference, Bains had levelled allegations of a scam against Mohindra in the purchase of medicines during his tenure as state health minister besides claiming he owned a pharmaceutical company.
In July last year, Bains had written to chief minister Capt Amarinder Singh and Congress president Rahul Gandhi demanding Mohindra’s removal from the state cabinet and a CBI probe into allegations that the then health minister was pressuring drug de-addiction centres to purchase a particular medicine at exorbitant rates. He had also alleged that certain tender terms and conditions were introduced to benefit some multinational drug firms.
Since filing of the case, Mohindra has deposed in the court a number of times. The criminal defamation case was filed under Sections 499 and 500 of the Indian Penal Code.
After getting bail on Tuesday, Bains said he would prove the charges he levelled against Mohindra since he has documentary proof of his favoring particular firms in the purchase of medicines.
“I didn’t appear in the court since he didn’t get any summons. After getting to know through the media that warrants were issued against me, I presented myself in the court. I will not be cowed even as Mohindra is using the government machinery to hound me,” he said.
Less time to read?
Try Quickreads
-
Eight migrant labourers from Rajasthan crushed to death in Bihar road mishap
At least eight migrant labourers were crushed to death, while six others were grievously injured, when an iron rod-loaded truck in which they were travelling met with a major accident on NH-57 on Monday morning. Confirming the deaths, sub-divisional police officer SK Saroj said the labourers, all residents of Rajasthan, were heading to Jammu from Siliguri in West Bengal when the driver lost control and toppled on the roadside.
-
Gusty winds uproot trees in Delhi, disrupt traffic
The Delhi fire control room received at least 20 calls until 9 am on Monday related to the uprooting of trees and wall collapses because of the heavy rain and gusty winds. The calls were received from places such as Delhi Cantonment, Civil Lines, Main Rohtak Road, and Dhaula Khan. The rains and the gusty winds up to 70 km per hour also led to traffic jams in many parts of the city.
-
Gurugram rains: Waterlogging woes return; 2,500 cops deployed to manage traffic
The traffic police advised people to avoid stretches such as Narsinghpur area, Jharsa Crossing, Sector 29, Sector 38, Sector 50, Rajeev Chowk, Sheetla Mata Road, Civil Lines, Golf Course Extension Road, Vatika Chowk, Sector 52 and Daulatabad Flyover. “We have deployed teams, and are pumping out water through motors to ensure smooth flow of traffic, but congestions are being reported from many areas,” Ravinder Kumar Tomar, deputy commissioner of police (traffic) said, warning commuters to plan their journeys accordingly.
-
Delhi faces power cuts amid rains, gusty winds
New Delhi: The heavy rain and gusty winds uprooted trees and led to water logging in Delhi on Monday and triggered power cuts across the city. The India Meteorological Department said thunderstorms were expected to continue in the city accompanied by gusty winds with a speed of 60-90 kilometre per hour. Officials urged residents, especially children, to stay away from electricity poles, sub-stations, transformers, and streetlights.
-
Delhi rain brings May minimum temp to a decade-low, says private agency Skymet
Delhi was much in need of a relief amid intense heatwave over the last few weeks and heavy rain and thunderstorms did just that. The mercury dropped by around 11 degrees Celsius in nearly 1.5 hours on Monday morning. “Today, between 5:40 am and 7 am, temperature fell by 11 degree Celsius, from 29 degree Celsius to 18 degree Celsius,” the India Meteorological Department said as per news agency ANI. Power blackouts were also reported.
