HC allows Sidhu’s plea seeking hearing via video-conferencing

The Punjab and Haryana High Court has allowed the plea of former Congress Minister, Navjot Singh Sidhu, seeking to be heard via video-conferencing, in the Ludhiana Court, pertaining to a matter related to former Minister Bharat Bhushan Ashu.

The case against Ashu was filed by dismissed DSP Balwinder Singh Sekhon, who alleged that Ashu had harassed and intimidated him during the inquiry into the alleged CLU scam in Ludhiana. The file containing the probe report of the case, which was submitted by Sekhon, is now reportedly “missing” from the office of Punjab’s local government department. The court summoned Sidhu as a witness as it was during his tenure as the local government minister that the inquiry was marked and concluded. Sidhu however had refused to appear physically in the Ludhiana court as a witness in the harassment case against Ashu related to the CLU (change of land use) scam inquiry. Sidhu has been citing “threat to life being a Z+ protectee” and “security concerns” as the reasons for not appearing in Ludhiana court.

At HC, the petition of Sidhu was allowed by the Bench of Justice Arun Monga. A detailed order meanwhile was yet to be released. Sidhu had moved to HC, after the trial court of Ludhiana in its October 15 order had turned down his plea and said that a witness cannot demand a hearing via video-conferencing as a right. “…a witness cannot claim his examination by the way of video-conferencing as a matter of right. It is for the court to see…,” read the Ludhiana court order, dismissing Sidhu’s plea.

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Sidhu had earlier also moved to the HC through Senior Advocate MS Khaira with Advocate Jaswinder Singh. The Bench hearing the matter then had observed it was evident from the order dated October 15 passed by Ludhiana Chief Judicial Magistrate that the third application dated September 29 filed by the petitioner to record his statement by way of videoconferencing had been dismissed.

The Ludhiana court has now summoned Sidhu, who is currently lodged in Patiala Central Jail in a road rage case, on October 28.