Tarn Taran hooch tragedy accused granted bail

Applicant’s counsel had told the court his client was falsely implicated in the case on the basis of a confessional statement of the co-accused

The court of additional sessions judge Kawaljit Singh on Wednesday granted bail to one of the accused in the state’s worst-ever hooch tragedy that claimed the lives of over 140 persons in Tarn Taran, Amritsar and Gurdaspur districts over July and August last year. Gurbaksh Singh, of Sekhan Majra village in Mohali, was arrested by Tarn Taran police during investigation. Two other accused Anil Kumar and Amarjit Kaur are already out on bail.

Illicit liquor being destroyed. Three districts saw 140 dead last year. (HT file)

“During investigation, no recovery of any spurious liquor or illicit liquor or any other material used to distil illicit liquor or alcohol has been affected from the applicant to connect him with the contents of alleged secret information. As submitted by the learned counsel for the applicant that co-accused Amarjit Kaur and Anil Kumar have been granted similar concession of regular bail and on the basis of parity also the applicant is entitled for the grant of concession of regular bail. No useful purpose would be served by keeping the applicant behind the bars for an indefinite period, as the trial is unlikely to conclude in the near future,” the judge noted.

Applicant’s counsel Hira Singh Sandhu had told the court his client was falsely implicated in the case on the basis of a confessional statement of the co-accused.