Nabha/Patiala, Punjab (February 14, 2011): Former General Secretary of Sikh Students Federation Advocate Jaspal Singh Manjhpur was today released from maximum security jail, Nabha on bail along with two other Panch Pardhani activists, namely Palwinder Singh Shutrana and Gurdeep Singh Raju. Trio have been released on bail granted by Justice Ajay Tiwari of Punjab and Haryana High Court. Large gathering of leaders and workers of SSF and SAD (Panch Pardhani) welcomed JS Manjhpur and others outside jail.
Advocate Manjhpur currently holds the office of media secretary of SAD (Panch Pardhani). Being a lawyer he works on Human Rights front also, and is one of the presidium members of Sikhs for Human Rights. He had contented Punjab assembly election in 2007 from Tanda constituency on SAD (Amritsar)’s ticket and since then he was preparing for upcoming SGPC elections.
It is notable that JS Manjhpur was arrested with party chairman Bhai Daljeet Singh and others in August 2009 and was facing charges under Unlawful Activities Prevention Act, (UAPA) 1967.
“During eighteen months of our detention prosecution has drastically failed to producing any thing incriminating against us” claimed Manjhpur, who alleged that the charges are framed against them solely to serve political ends of the ruling SAD (Badal). He maintained that UAPA, 1967 as amended in December 2008, after 26/11 Mumbai attacks, is masked revival of black laws like TADA and POTA, and is being misused to suppress political opponents.