Provide legal aid to Tara, says High Court

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, July 12

Just over three months after the Chandigarh Administration dubbed Jagtar Singh Tara a “high security prisoner” while opposing his prayer to argue before the Punjab and Haryana High Court, a Bench today asked the registry to provide him with legal aid.

Taking up the matter, Justice AB Chaudhari directed that the appointment of a legal aid counsel should also be conveyed in jail to the alleged assassin of former Punjab Chief Minister Beant Singh.

Justice Chaudhari added that the court should also be informed about his decision to accept legal aid. UT counsel Gautam Dutt was also asked to inform the Bench whether Tara was earlier provided with legal aid. Dutt had earlier told the court that Tara’s removal from the jail was debarred by the UT Administration vide a notification dated September 29, 1995, and he could not be removed till the disposal of the case pending against him. 

The Administration was seeking directions for quashing an order dated January 6 passed by the UT Additional Sessions Judge “to the extent that accused Jagtar Singh Tara has been allowed to have consultation with his co-accused, separately or jointly”.

Dutt had claimed that the order further allowed him to call his family on the mobile phone to hold consultations with the members for “the purpose of preparing his defence.” Dutt argued that the orders were passed without appreciation of facts. Dutt added that there was a likelihood of the facilities being misused “thereby putting security of the state at risk”.

Tara, in turn, had expressed the wish to personally argue the matter. As the case came up for resumed hearing, a letter, written by Tara to the jail authorities before being forwarded to the High Court registrar, was placed before the Bench.

Tara claimed that he had neither engaged, nor intended to engage, a counsel for arguing the matter. He had also made it clear that he personally wanted to appear before the Bench for defending his stand. Taking up the matter, the High Court had stayed the operation of the impugned order. The case will now come up for hearing on August 12.