The Punjab and Haryana high court on Friday granted bail to United Akali Dal (UAD) president Mohkam Singh and SAD (Amritsar) leader Bhupinder Singh, who were booked on charges of sedition over the radicals’ Sarbat Khalsa organised on November 10.
The high court bench of justice MMS Bedi observed that the two leaders had been named in the police first information report (FIR) but no specific allegations were levelled against them.
Mohkam was arrested on November 23 and Bhupinder Singh on November 21. Their lower courts had rejected the bail pleas of the two leaders, following which they moved high court.
The two leaders were accused of instigating youths to commit breach of unity and integrity of the country. The authorities had also alleged that during the Sarbat Khalsa at Chabba village in Amritsar, the slogans raised were aimed at spreading hate among communities.
Without expression of any opinion on merits, in view of the nature of the allegations against the petitioner, they can be granted the concession of bail, justice Bedi said, according to the leaders’ counsels, Parminder Singh Sekhon and Simran Jit Singh.
The counsels said the court had ordered the bail of the two leaders, directing that they be released upon furnishing bail bonds/surety bonds to the satisfaction of the chief judicial magistrate/Illaqua magistrate.
{{/usCountry}}The counsels said the court had ordered the bail of the two leaders, directing that they be released upon furnishing bail bonds/surety bonds to the satisfaction of the chief judicial magistrate/Illaqua magistrate.
{{/usCountry}}Meanwhile, Bhupinder Singh withdrew another petition filed to seek quashing of the FIR after the court termed it “pre-mature”.