Convict out on bail for 4 yrs among those pardoned

Nikhil Bhardwaj

Tribune News Service

Ludhiana November 15

A convict from Lamma Jatpura village near Raikot, who is already out on bail, is among those who have been pardoned by the Ministry of Home Affairs. Though he has already undergone more than two years of imprisonment under the Explosive Act, he expressed gratitude towards the state government and the Centre.

Talking to The Tribune, Balbir Singh, a mukh sewadar at Gurdwara Gurusar Panjuana Sahib, Lamma Jatpura, said he along with three others — Bhag Singh, Kuljit Singh and Harminder Singh of the village — was arrested by the Raikot police under the Explosive Substance Act and Unlawful Activity Prevention Act on June 29, 2009.

The police also recovered 3-kg RDX from them and levelled charges that he along with his aides were to kill Dera Sirsa chief Gurmeet Singh Ram Rahim.

Initially they were lodged in the Ludhiana Central Jail and then on July 5, they were sent to Nabha jail. In October 2010, he got bail from the High Court, but on July 21, 2014, a Ludhiana sessions court convicted him along with Bhag Singh and Kuljit Singh for five years of imprisonment and his appeal against the conviction is pending in the High Court. ."I spent 6 months in Ludhiana jail and about 15 months in Nabha jail and then I got bail from the High Court in February 2015.” Bhag and Kuljit spent almost three years in jail and they are also out on bail, Balbir added. He said he received a letter of release from the President but the other two were yet to receive any such letter.