Case against SAD leader Bunty Romana appears to be actuated by political vendetta: Mohali court

Tribune News Service

Saurabh Malik

Chandigarh, November 6

In a major embarrassment for Punjab government, a Mohali court has asserted that a case against Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) general secretary Parambans Singh Bunty Romana appeared to be actuated by political vendetta.

The court also ruled that prejudice was not likely to be caused to the prosecution, if the bail was granted to the applicant-accused.

Romana was seeking bail in a forgery and defamation case registered on October 26 under Sections 468, 469, and 500 of the IPC and the provisions of the Information Technology Act at Mataur police station in Mohali.

The State’s stand in the matter was that a video clip uploaded on YouTube since 2014 was morphed by the applicant-accused and posted on the social media platform for ulterior motive. It was added that the accused-applicant had uploaded the morphed video on ‘X’, formerly Twitter, with an intention to harm the chief minister’s reputation and gain political mileage.

Taking up the matter, Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate Harpreet Kaur asserted the ingredients of Section 468 of the IPC were not fulfilled in the present case. The basic ingredients of cheating offence were also missing in this case.

Singer Kanwar Grewal, whose video was alleged to have been morphed, was nowhere in the picture and admittedly had not joined the investigation. A perusal of the record revealed that the accused was in judicial custody since October 26 and the challan in the present case was yet to be presented.

“Therefore, I am of the considered opinion that the guilt of applicant-accused is yet to be established after the conclusion of evidence on merits. Further conclusion of the trial would take consideration time. As such, no useful purpose would be served by keeping the applicant/accused Parambans Singh Romana behind the bars,” ACJM Harpreet Kaur added.

Without commenting on the merits of the case, the court directed the accused to be admitted to bail on furnishing bail bonds of Rs 1 lakh with two sureties of the like amount. He was, among other things, directed to attend the court on each and every date of hearing and directly or indirectly not make any inducement, threat or promise to any person acquainted with the facts of the case to dissuade them from disclosing facts to the court or to any police officer.

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