Lakha Sidhana who posted video on Facebook from jail booked for cheating

Six other inmates of Faridkot jail also booked after two mobile recovered from their barrack.

Gangster-turned-activist Lakhbir Singh alias Lakha Sidhana, who recently posted a video on Facebook from inside the modern jail here, was among seven other inmates booked for cheating on Saturday after two mobile phones were recovered from their barrack.

Lakha Sidhana (Facebook)

Sidhana, president of Malwa Youth Federation, was arrested on October 31 after activists of his group and some other organisations smudged Hindi and English words on signboards along Bathinda-Barnala highway on October 21. The group was demanding that Punjabi words be placed on top on signboards.

In his Facebook video, Sidhana spoke about the problems faced by farmers in managing paddy stubble in their fields. He refers to events of the past two-three days, making it clear that the video was made inside the jail. The case has been registered against Sidhana and six other inmates under Sections 420 of the IPC and 42 of the Jail Act at the city police station in Faridkot, station house officer (SHO) Jagdev Singh said.

Sidhana’s posting of video on Facebook also raises questions over the three-hour search operation carried out in the jail by the Faridkot police on November 5, wherein they recovered just two mobiles. As many as 300 police personnel were involved in this operation, led by superintendent of police (SP) Sewa Singh Malhi.