Sukhbir Singh Badal & Bikram Singh Majithia are accused of defaming the retd. judge, who headed a one-man commission to probe desecration of religious texts & related police firing incidents, including those that happened under Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD)- Bhartiya Janta Party (BJP) rule in 2015.

WHILE adjourning the case pending against them to next month, the Punjab & Haryana HC Wednesday granted an exemption from personal appearance to Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) president Sukhbir Singh Badal & party leader & MLA Bikram Singh Majithia for the next hearing. The duo are accused in a criminal complaint case filed by retd. judge Ranjit Singh against them. The applications for permanent exemption from the personal appearance are pending before the HC.

Sukhbir Singh Badal & Bikram Singh Majithia are accused of defaming the retd. judge, who headed a one-man commission to probe desecration of religious texts & related police firing incidents, including those that happened under Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD)-Bhartiya Janta Party (BJP) rule in 2015. The case has been filed by him against Sukhbir Singh Badal & Bikram Singh Majithia under the Commissions of Inquiry Act, 1952. On Wednesday, the case was listed for arguments over maintainability & for consideration of applications filed by Sukhbir Singh Badal & Bikram Singh Majithia for permanent exemption from personal appearance. However, the matter was adjourned without any hearing.

In his application filed through adv. Arshdeep Singh Cheema, Bikram Singh Majithia has said that as the president of the Youth wing of Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) & also as the member of the state legislature he has to discharge “multifarious responsibilities”. The HC has been told that Bikram Singh Majithia belongs to a “highly respected family & has earlier served as a Cabinet Minister in the state govt.” & he has “a permanent place of residence in India & there is no apprehension of his running away from the process of law”. The HC in Sukhbir Singh Badal’s application has been told he is the party president & also an elected member of the parliament.

Justice (retd) Singh in February this year had filed the criminal complaint for allegedly making defamatory statements against him in connection with the report of the Commission set up by Punjab State Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh to investigate the various incidents of sacrilege in Punjab State.

On Aug 23 last year, Sukhbir Singh Badal held a press conference in Amritsar insinuating that Justice Singh had no legal qualification & alleged that he had fabricated the documents, including witness statements, in preparation of the report of the commission he headed. On Aug 27, the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) leaders, including Bikram Singh Majithia, mocked the report in a demon. held outside the Punjab State Assembly & staged the report’s mock sale while shouting it was available at Rs 5 in the market. The two incidents have been cited as evidence in the complaint. The commission’s report was tabled in Punjab State Assembly last year.

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