Terror accused inmates go on ‘hunger strike’ in Nabha jail

Counsel says they are protesting against delay in trial as cops are not producing them in court

Five terror accused lodged in the maximum security jail in Nabha on Wednesday started a hunger strike in protest against the police’s alleged attempt to delay their trial by not producing them in court, their counsel Kulwinder Kaur said.

HT Image

These inmates — Jarnail Singh, 27, Randeep Singh, 24, Satnam Singh, 23, Harbrinder Singh, 37, and Parminder Singh, 34, —were among 11 people, including a woman, arrested from Mohali bus stand in May 2017. According to police, they were active members of banned outfit Babbar Khalsa and were planning “some big” strike in Punjab. They were booked under Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) and the Arms Act.

Counsel Kulwinder Kaur said another accused Amritpal Kaur, lodged in Patiala central jail, has been on hunger strike since December 4 for the same reason.

Alleging that the accused have been falsely implicated in the case by the police, Kulwinder Kaur said they are not being produced in the court to delay the trial.

She said in repeated orders, the additional sessions court, Mohali, has ordered the prosecution to produce the accused in the court.

In April this year, she said, the court even ordered to put on hold the salary of the jail superintendent. In July, the court ordered SP (headquarters) to ensure their presence in the court. Thereafter, the accused were produced before the court through video conference in August.

However, the counsel said, the trial did not move further as the police failed to produce them in five court hearing thereafter.

Meanwhile, the court has fixed December 20 as the next date of hearing. “The accused want to be produced in the court on that day,” the counsel said.

OFFICIAL VERSION

Jail superintendent Ramanjit Singh Bhangu, however, denied that the accused are on hunger strike, but said they have been assured that they will be produced in the court in the next hearing.

Mohali SP (headquarters) Gursewak Singh Brar said the accused could not be produced in the court for various reasons and said they will be produced definitely on the next date.