Chandigarh: The National Investigation Agency (NIA) of India failed to file a reply in a Mohali based special NIA court on 4 November 2019. The agency urged the court to grant more time for filing reply to a discharge plea moved by the counsel/s of Jagtar Singh Johal and Dharminder Singh Gugni in Case number RC-24/2017/NIA/DLI.
Jagtar Singh, a Scottish citizen was picked up by Punjab police from Jalandhar on 4 November 2017. He was later booked in various cases by Punjab police and National Investigation Agency (NIA) of India. He is in jail for past two years, awaiting trials.
The discharge plea in aforesaid case was moved by Jagtar Singh Johal’s counsel Advocate Jaspal Singh Manjhpur on 10th of October, 2019. The NIA was told by the court to file a reply before 4 November 2019. During 4 November’s court hearing the NIA urged the court to grant more time to prepare the reply. The court has fixed 25 November as next date of hearing in this matter.
What This Case is About?
The NIA case number RC-24/2017/NIA/DLI is related to an alleged attack on Shiv Sena leader Amit Arora in Ludhiana. Earlier the Punjab police had registered a case against Amit Arora and his associates for faking an attack on himself (Amit Arora) to secure police security. Amit Arora was also arrested by Punjab police in this case. But after the arrest of Jagtar Singh Johal and others the Punjab police took a U-turn and started maintaining that the attack was real, and it was not faked by Amit Arora. The case was later taken over by the NIA.
What Discharge Plea Says?
In the discharge plea the defence counsel has maintained that Jagtar Singh Johal has been falsely implicated in this case while pointing that the FIR was not registered by name against him. Discharge plea further points that Jagtar Singh Johal arrested in the Case FIR No. 193 of 2016 of Police Station Bagha Purana under section 25 Arms Act, 17, 18, 19, 20 Of UAP Act after the Disclosure of the One Taljit Singh Jimmy who is already discharged by the NIA in present case.
It further says that on 12-07-2018 charges have been framed against Jagtar Singh Johal in Case FIR No. 193 of 2016 of PS Bagha Purana (Moga) under section 120B IPC, 17, 18, 19, 20 of UAP Act by the Court of Charanjeet Arora, Learned ASJ Moga and presently case pending in the court of Mrs. Anjana, Lerarned ASJ Moga.
“After the perusal of report of section 173 Cr.P.C of present case it is crystal clear that alleged allegations against the accused/applicant Jagtar Singh are of the same nature and same subject matter as already charge framed at Moga”, the discharge plea reads.
“[I]t is also pertinent to mention here that Jagtar Singh Johal had been nominated in one more case FIR No.63 of 26.06.2017, Under Sections 25/54/59 of Arms Act & 17,18,19,20 of Unlawful Activities Prevention Act, Police Station Bajakhana (Faridkot) on the same nature of allegations and same subject matter and report under section 173 Cr.P.C filed by the State Special Operation Cell Amritsar and on 24-07-2019 the case Discharged by the Hon’ble Court of Sh. Rajesh Kumar, Learned ASJ, Faridkot”, the discharge plea reads further.
Defence Lawyer Accuses NIA for Delay Tactics:
The defence lawyer alleges that the NIA was causing undue delay. “Jagtar Singh is awaiting trial in many cases for past two years. The NIA had due time to file reply but they did not. They have sought more time. It is nothing but a delay and harassment tactic”, Advocate Jaspal Singh Manjhpur said while informing that a similar case against Jagtar Singh Johal was discharged by a Punjab court few months back.