Dera head moves High Court for anticipatory bail, wants court appearance through video link
Dera chief’s counsel contended in the petition that “this application (for production warrant) is not only illegal, but politically motivated and apparently seems to have been moved keeping in view the coming Assembly election in the state of Punjab.
Two days after a Faridkot court issued production warrant against Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim in connection with the 2015 sacrilege case, the Dera head moved Punjab and Haryana High Court seeking anticipatory bail in event of an arrest. In a separate application, he also asked the HC to quash the Faridkot court order through which the production warrant has been issued. Ram Rahim is presently lodged at Rohtak’s Sunaria jail.
The matter for anticipatory bail is scheduled for hearing before the HC bench of Justice Amol Rattan Singh on Thursday. The other plea for quashing of the production warrant order is yet to be listed before any bench.
In his anticipatory bail plea filed through Senior Advocate Vinod Ghai, Advocates Kanika Ahuja and Kirti Ahuja, the Dera chief has sought directions to the arresting officer to release him on bail forthwith in event of his arrest in case bearing FIR number 63.
Dera chief’s counsel contended in the petition that “this application (for production warrant) is not only illegal, but politically motivated and apparently seems to have been moved keeping in view the coming Assembly election in the state of Punjab. There is no change in the circumstances and also no further evidence has apparently come forth before the investigating agency to change its stand and move the application now. This fact in itself is sufficient to show the biased and vindictive attitude of the investigating agency towards the petitioner.”
It has been further argued in the petition that “there is grave and serious apprehension to the life and well-being of the petitioner….There is every possibility that the SIT out of wreck vengeance in garb of investigation into FIR No.63/2015 registered at Police Station Baja Khana, District Faridkot shall resort to measures to eliminate and liquidate the petitioner. It is not only the SIT who can eliminate the petitioner but the life & liberty of the petitioner is in danger at the hands of hardliners who have been issuing threats to his life continuously for last many years.”
It has been argued that the investigation/inquiry to be made from the petitioner can be conducted through online/video conferencing mode in order to avoid physically transporting in shifting the petitioner from Haryana to Punjab, and also there is every likelihood of petitioner sustaining bodily harm and being subjected to third-degree interrogation and torture if he is brought to Punjab for the purposes of investigation.
