Tajinder Bagga’s arrest sets off political row; top developments

Earlier this month, the Punjab Police booked Bagga on charges of making provocative statement, promoting religious enmity, and criminal intimidation for targeting Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) supremo Arvind Kejriwal over his comments on ‘The Kashmir Files’.

Here’s all that happened in the case throughout the day

🛑 The Punjab Police picked up  Tajinder Pal Singh Bagga from his residence in New Delhi. Accusing AAP convener and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal of hooliganism and “daadagiri”, Bagga’s mother Friday alleged her son wasn’t permitted to put on his slippers or tie his ‘siropa’ (a garment worn by Sikhs) before he was arrested by the Punjab Police. She accused the police of assaulting Bagga’s father when he tried to film his arrest. The Delhi Police accused the Punjab Police team of not following due procedure and registered a case of “kidnapping” against them based on a complaint lodged by Bagga’s father Preetpal Singh.

🛑 While Bagga was being taken to Mohali to be produced in court, Haryana Police intercepted the Punjab Police team at Kurukshetra and were taken to Thanesar police station. A Haryana police officer told The Indian Express, “We have brought Bagga and the Punjab police team to the Thanesar police station, Kurukshetra. We have questioned the Punjab policemen.”

🛑 The Senior Superintendent of Police, SAS Nagar Mohali, sent a letter to his counterpart in Kurukshetra, requesting the release of the Punjab Police team and the accused, Bagga, so that he may be presented before the court “in time as per law”. The SSP added that the team being stopped in Haryana “tantamounts to illegal detention and interference in administration of criminal justice system”.

🛑 A Delhi Police team reached Kurukshetra, took over Bagga’s custody from the Punjab Police and left for Delhi.

🛑 Following this, the Punjab Police moved the Punjab and Haryana High Court against the “detention” of its police team in Kurukshetra. The Punjab government accused the Haryana Police of wrongly interfering in the case and requested the court to not let Delhi Police to cross Haryana border with Bagga. Terming the intervention by the Haryana Police “a violation of law”, Advocate General (AG) Anmol Rattan Sidhu claimed that everything was going as per procedure but the Haryana cops delayed the process.  He alleged that the Haryana Police made the Punjab Police team wait for six hours before handing over Bagga to Delhi Police.

🛑 Former Chandigarh MP Satya Pal Jain, appearing on behalf of the Delhi police, argued that the Punjab Police had not informed their Delhi counterparts before arresting Bagga from their jurisdiction. Calling it a political vendetta, Jain said, “The entire govt machinery of Punjab is targeting one person.” Bagga’s lawyer Chetan Mittal told the court that around 50 cops swooped down on Bagga’s house during his arrest in the morning “as if he was a terrorist”.

🛑 The HC turned down the Punjab government’s request to keep Bagga in Haryana and asked the Haryana govt to explain why it stopped the Punjab police with Bagga at Kurukshetra.

🛑 Jain, Additional Solicitor General, Government of India, contended that based on an FIR registered by Bagga’s father, Dwarka court issued search warrants to find Bagga. Senior advocate Chetan Mittal, representing Bagga, said at 9.50 am after Bagga’s arrest, a message was flashed by the Delhi Police to Haryana Police to stop the vehicle of Punjab Police. The traffic police stopped the convoy at Khan Kohlian (Haryana), the vehicle ferrying Bagga. Delhi police reached Kurukshetra at 2 pm, search warrants were shown and custody of Bagga was handed over to Delhi Police.

🛑 Meanwhile, State of Haryana contended that the petition filed by State of Punjab was to release the detainee Punjab Police personnel while there was no mention of Bagga. After hearing the argument, the Bench of Justice Batra, adjourned the matter for May 7. The HC asked the state of Haryana to file an affidavit by Saturday on allegations of detention of Punjab Police personnel.

🛑 Tajinder Pal Singh Bagga returned to Delhi with the Delhi Police.

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