New Delhi: A Mohali court on Saturday issued an arrest warrant against the Delhi BJP leader Tajinder Pal Singh Bagga. Posting the matter for May 23, the Mohali court of judicial magistrate Ravtesh Inderjit Singh said it was necessary in the interest of justice to issue a non-bailable warrant for the accused Mr Bagga, who is evading arrest, in order to facilitate the investigation.
In what could mean more trouble for the BJP leader, the Mohali district magistrate has also asked the cybercrime branch to arrest Mr Bagga and produce him before the court. Mr Bagga has been charged under Sections 153A, 505, 505(2) and 506 of the Indian Penal Code.
According to sources, the Punjab police is likely to once again reach Delhi on Sunday to arrest Mr Bagga. They do not want to leave any legal loophole this time. Therefore, along with the arrest warrant by the court, all legal documents are being prepared so that the Punjab police can arrest Mr Bagga from Delhi as per the rules set by the Supreme Court.
The Delhi police on their part said that Mr Bagga, whose medical examination conducted after his arrest by the Punjab police revealed injury marks on his body, has expressed apprehension over his safety and security and they will make the necessary security arrangements for the BJP leader.
Mr Bagga was arrested by the Punjab police from his home in Delhi on Friday. The Punjab police was stopped in Haryana while transporting Mr Bagga to Mohali and Mr Bagga was brought back to the national capital by the Delhi police hours later.
Ahead of being produced before the magistrate, he was later taken to Deen Dayal Upadhyay Hospital in Delhi for medico-legal-case. Thereafter, Mr Bagga was produced before the metropolitan magistrate Swayam Siddha Tripathi. The court in its order noted that Mr Bagga has apprehension that a similar incident can happen to him in near future and hence SHO Janakpuri should provide him full security.
The court further stated that the SHO is directed to make necessary arrangements for the safety and security of Mr Bagga. Since he is a major and requesting that he should be allowed to go home there is no requirement of any further order with respect to his stay.
The entire episode further fueled the political slugfest between the AAP and the BJP that escalated into protests and name-calling.
The BJP accused the Punjab police of “abducting” Mr Bagga, who is vocal in his criticism of the Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal. Condemning the AAP chief for pursuing a vendetta through the state police, the BJP party workers protested outside the CM residence. They shouted slogans against the Delhi CM at the police barricades surrounding his residence. BJP leader Manjinder Singh Sirsa was detained during the protest.
The leaders of AAP, which has lately been accused of using the Punjab police to target political rivals and critics of Mr Kejriwal, defended the action against Mr Bagga. They said the BJP leader was taken into custody after he refused to cooperate in a probe against him and ignored five notices.
The AAP accused the BJP and its governments of protecting “goon” who incited riots in Punjab and grossly misusing the state machinery and police of two states to settle political vendettas.
The AAP senior leader and Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Singh alleged that the BJP has manipulated the state machinery and deputed the Delhi police and Haryana police to protect Mr Bagga.
“Tajinder Bagga’s dossier begins at hate-mongering, organised violence and goes on till inciting riots and further communal divides… But to see the BJP come out with all its guns to protect someone who incites riots is a shame for the whole Indian political system,” said Atishi, an AAP legislator from Kalkaji.
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