Ex-MLA denied bail in Kotkapura firing case

Balwant Garg

Tribune News Service

Faridkot, March 20

District and Sessions Judge Harpal Singh on Wednesday dismissed the anticipatory bail of former Akali MLA Mantar Singh Brar in an attempt to murder case.

Brar, former Akali MLA from Kotkapura, is one of the accused in the case of unprovoked police firing on protesters at Kotkapura in October 2015. The protest was against sacrilege incidents in Bargari.

Accusing him of playing a pivotal role in instigating the police in opening firing on the protesters, the SIT alleged that the exchange of 157 phone calls between Brar, the CM office, DGP office, ministers and local police officials on the night before firing incidents clearly indicated that he was a commanding influence on the police and did not let the doctors in government hospitals give treatment to the injured persons. Due to this alleged influence of Brar, doctors did not prepare medico-legal reports of the injured and the police desist from taking cognisance of their complaint.

Opposing this argument, counsel for Mantar alleged that SIT was relying on the statement of former SDM VK Syal, who was inimical to the former MLA.

The probe team claimed that there was a reasonable apprehension that Brar would tamper with evidence. It said though Brar had twice appeared before SIT, he had concealed the truth so his custodial interrogation was required. However, alleging a political conspiracy to entangle Brar in the case, his counsel produced newspaper clippings in which Congress leaders had started dubbing Brar as one of the accused even before the SIT gave any such hint.