The Punjab and Haryana High Court ordered on Tuesday that BJP leader Tajinder Pal Singh Bagga, who is accused of posting offensive statements on social media that promote religious animosity and criminal intimidation, cannot be arrested until July 6, the next date of hearing.
The matter was heard before Justice Anoop Chitkara’s bench, and it lasted about 45 minutes. Bagga’s petition for quashing a FIR filed by Punjab Police in Mohali against him for allegedly making inflammatory words against Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, as well as his case against arrest warrants issued by a Mohali court, was heard by the bench.
The panel was also hearing the Punjab Police’s appeal against its employees being detained in Haryana and Delhi.
It also granted the Punjab Police’s request to charge the national government and the Delhi Police Commissioner, the case’s respondents.
Bagga, a Delhi BJP spokesperson, was arrested last Friday at his Janakpuri home in connection with a case lodged in Mohali on April 1. Haryana Police stopped the Punjab Police convoy transporting Bagga to their state, while Delhi Police filed a FIR against Punjab officers for kidnapping the BJP leader.
Punjab Police is under the control of the newly created AAP administration, Haryana Police is under the control of the BJP government, and Delhi Police is under the control of the Union Ministry of Home Affairs.
The Punjab government’s lawyers, Counsel General Anmol Rattan Sidhu and senior advocate Puneet Bali, said that Bagga’s actions were disturbing and that he should have asked for anticipatory bail. Bagga, they noted, has not been cooperating with the investigation. The lawyers said that they had filed more documents with the HC, and that the Punjab government had agreed not to execute arrest warrants against Bagga until the next hearing date.
The Punjab and Haryana High Court has ruled that no coercive action against Bagga be taken till July 6.Dr Sunny Ahluwalia, senior advocate Vinod Ghai, and Kanika Ahuja, who represented the complainant, contended that the probe could not be halted.
Despite receiving five reminders, Bagga has refused to cooperate with the inquiry and has continued repeating the offence by tweeting offensive remarks, according to the authorities.
After hearing the arguments, Justice Chitkara’s bench directed that the Punjab Police submit no chargesheet in the case till the next date of hearing.
The HC, on the other hand, refused to issue a stay of the probe.Allowing Punjab Police to question Bagga, the bench stated that if they wish to question him, they must do it at his home and in the presence of his lawyer.