Police delay chargesheet in arms case, Johal gets bail

Balwant Garg

Tribune News Service

Faridkot, January 17

Jagtar Singh, alias Jaggi Johal, a British citizen and a prime accused in target killings in Punjab, was granted bail in one of the seven cases he is facing in different parts of the state.

The Judicial Magistrate, Faridkot, granted bail to Jaggi Johal and Taljeet Singh, alias Jimmy, on Wednesday as the police failed to present the chargesheet in a criminal case registered under the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA) and Arms Act at the Bajalkhana police station in June 2017 within 90 days, stipulated time for completion of investigation and filing of chargesheet.

Sources in the police revealed that Jaggi Johal was facing seven criminal cases in different parts of the state and getting bail in one of these cases was not going to ensure his release from Nabha Jail, where he had been lodged for the last over one year. Johal was arrested from Rama Mandi town of Jalandhar on November 4, 2017. He had arrived in India on October 2 for his marriage in Jalandhar. Taljeet Singh is presently lodged in the Sangrur jail, facing another case.

Sources in police revealed that on June 21, 2017, a special cell of the police had arrested Gurpreet Singh, alias Preet, of Jeowala village in Faridkot and Simranjit Singh of Kamalpur village of Moga. After the interrogation of Gurpreet, the police had allegedly recovered some firearms from his residence in Jeonwala.

In this criminal case under the UAPA and Arms Act at Bajakhana, Jaggi Johal and Taljeet Singh were also nominated as accused for allegedly providing the weapons to the arrested accused.

Mandeep Chanana, advocate for Jaggi Johal and Taljeet Singh, said after showing their arrest, the Faridkot police were to present the chargesheet against Jaggi and Taljeet before May 24, 2018, and May 8, 2018, respectively, under Section 167 (2) of CrPC and Section 43 of the UAPA, which stipulate 90 days’ time for completing investigation and presenting challan or the accused got the right of releasing on bail.

However, the Faridkot police filed the chargesheet against both these accused on August 24, 2018, thus making them eligible for release on bail due to delay in presenting of the challan beyond the stipulated time.

Earlier on May 4, 2018, the Faridkot police had got 90 days’ extension from the court in presenting the chargesheet but this extension was set aside after challenged by Jaggi and Taljeet Singh.