British national Jaggi Johal, 7 others acquitted in 2016 terror funding case as Punjab Police case falls flat

In custody since November 2017, Johal, a British national but a native of Punjab’s Jalandhar, is named in eight other cases of alleged terror activities including six murders related to a series of targeted killings which happened in Punjab in 2016-17. The killings are being investigated by the National Investigation Agency (NIA). Johal is currently lodged in a jail in Delhi and attended the court hearing via video conferencing, Tuesday.

The Moga case was registered at Baghapurana police station under the several sections of IPC and Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act and Arms Act on December 17, 2016 against Johal and others, after the police recovered a 9 mm pistol and cartridges following the interrogation of Tarlok Singh alias Laddi, who was then in jail in the alleged murder case of Dera follower Gurdev Singh of Bajakhana, Faridkot.

The police during further investigation had claimed that Johal had visited France several times to “fund terrorism activities” in Punjab, consequently leading to the targeted killings of individuals from varied communities. The police had further claimed that Johal was in touch with Khalistan extremists to create unrest in Punjab, including Mintu and others based in Pakistan such as Lakhbir Singh Rode and Harmeet Singh PhD, and also gangster Dharminder alias Gugni.

However, the court in its 100-page judgement, said that the “prosecution has failed to prove its case against all accused beyond shadow of reasonable doubt”.

“The prosecution has failed to prove its case against all the accused beyond shadow of reasonable doubt under Sections 17,18,19,20 of Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act and 120-B,419, 420,467,468,471 IPC. It is settled law that benefit of doubt always goes to the accused,” ordered the court while acquitting Johal, Taljeet Singh (Jimmy); Ramandeep Singh (Bagga), Dharminder (Gugni), Hardeep Singh (Bhalwan/ Shera), Anil Kumar (Kala), Jagjit Singh (Jaggi) and Tarlok Singh (Laadi) of the charges framed against them under IPC and UAPA.

However, Taljeet, Ramandeep, and Hardeep have been convicted under the Section 25 of the Arms Act for the alleged possession of the weapon and have been awarded two years of rigorous imprisonment.

How did the case fall flat in court?

Johla’s counsel Jaspal Singh Manjhpur said that the police failed to recover any incriminating material from him. He said police also failed to provide any evidence of Johal’s alleged visits to France and the alleged money he gave to Mintu.

According to Manjhpur, DSP Balwinder Singh, in cross examination, admitted that he “cannot tell the exact date, month and year” when Johal visited France and that “there is no document to show that Johal had handed over 800 pounds to Taljeet Singh and 3,000 pounds to Mintu”.

The police had claimed that Johal was running a website “Never Forget 1984” and a magazine “Soorme”. “But in the court, the DSP admitted that “Never Forget 1984” is neither anti-national nor unlawful and that it is not illegal to paste photos of Sant Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale anywhere,” said Manjhpur.

“DSP Jangjeet Singh said in the court that he had no idea who nominated Johal as an accused in the case,” said Manjhpur.

The police chargesheet had said that Tarlok Singh alias Laadi, arrested in a murder case by Faridkot police, had made a disclosure statement following which Moga police recovered a country-made pistol along with two live cartridges, and an empty cartridge buried under a tree at village Budh Singh Wala.

During investigation, Laadi confessed that his uncle’s son Taljeet Singh alias Jimmy was “encouraging him to create terrorism and he is also asking to arrange weapon”. For that purpose, Jimmy also sent money to him. Jimmy was nominated as accused in the case.

“Further during investigation, it came to the notice that Jimmy is having relations with Johal…and has been publishing a magazine `Soorme’ and is dealing with website `Never Forget 1984′. He is in contact with persons namely Gursharanbir Singh (United Kingdom) and Harmeet Singh alias PHD, (Lahore, Pakistan). Johal encouraged Jimmy to create terrorism in India and also given 800 Pounds to him for said purpose, who further sent the same to his uncle’s son Jagjit Singh, alias Jaggi,” claimed police.

Police had nominated Johal as an accused in the case on November 4, 2017 and arrested him thereafter. Police claimed that the names of Ramandeep Singh, Hardeep Singh, and Harminder Singh came into light after Johal’s arrest.

“For the recovery of weapons used in targeted killing, name of gangster Dharminder Singh alias Gugni came into light. Ramandeep Singh was in contact through WhatsApp with Harmeet Singh, PHD. Johal had given Rs 4,00,000 to Anil Kumar at the instance of Dharminder Singh for buying weapon, who after purchasing the same from Utter Pradesh, had given the same to Ramandeep Singh,” the police had claimed.

Police said that Ramandeep Singh in his statement had said that he and Hardeep Singh connived with each other and murdered leaders of RSS and Dera followers.

“Then DSP Balwinder Singh arrested accused Harminder Singh through production warrants,” claimed police in the court.

Pending cases against Johal

A total of 8 other terror cases are pending against Johal in the NIA court, Delhi, including six pertaining to targeted killings in 2016-17. They include the murders of RSS leaders Jagdish Gagneja (in Jalandhar) and Ravinder Gosain (in Ludhiana), double murder of Dera Sacha Sauda follower Satpal and his son Ramesh (in Khanna); and killings of Shiv Sena leader Durga Prasad, church pastor Sultan Masih and Hindu Takht leader Amit Sharma (all in Ludhiana).