Hooda ex-aide to challenge audio clip in sedition case

Sunit Dhawan
Tribune News Service
Rohtak, July 10

Former Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda’s former political adviser Prof Virender Singh, who is facing a court trial in connection with a case of sedition and rioting pertaining to the Jat quota stir of 2016, will challenge the authenticity of the audio recording of his telephonic conversation with khap leader Maan Singh Dalal, on the basis of which the case was registered against them.

Talking to The Tribune here today, Prof Virender Singh’s counsel RC Dalal stated that the source of the audio recording, on which the prosecution’s case is based, was “doubtful and questionable”.

“We will challenge the genuineness of the audio recording and question the source from which it has been procured,” the lawyer maintained.

It would be pertinent to mention here that the sedition case against Virender, Maan Singh Dalal and Congress leader Jaideep Dhankhar hinges on the audio recording of a telephonic conversation between Virender and Dalal, in which the former talks about the arson and violence during the Jat quota stir.

Dhankhar got involved in the case as Virender had used his mobile phone for talking to Dalal. All three of them are on bail in the case. An FIR was registered against Virender, Dalal and Jaideep Dhankhar in February 2016 in connection with the Jat quota stir.

The FIR was registered on the basis of a complaint lodged by Capt Pawan Kumar Anchal of Bhiwani after the audio clip containing Virender’s controversial telephonic conversation with khap leader Dalal went viral.

The police has filed a chargesheet under Sections 124-A (sedition), 148 (rioting, armed with deadly weapon), 149 (unlawful assembly), 427 (mischief causing damage), 435 (mischief by fire or explosive substance), 436, 395 (dacoity), 120-B (criminal conspiracy), 153-A (promoting disharmony, enmity or hatred), 109 (abetment) of the IPC, Section 3 of the Prevention of Damage to Public Property Act and Section 8-B of the National Highway Authority of India Act.

Phone chat about Jat stir 

The sedition case against Bhupinder Singh Hooda’s former political adviser Prof Virender Singh, khap leader Maan Singh Dalal and Congress leader Jaideep Dhankhar hinges on the audio recording of a telephonic conversation between Virender and Dalal, in which the former talks about the arson and violence during the Jat quota stir.