Punjab court summons Congress chief in defamation case
Darpan News Desk The Canadian Press, 15 May, 2023 11:45 AM
Chandigarh, May 15 (IANS) A local court in Punjab's Sangrur has issued a notice to Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge in a Rs 100-crore defamation case filed against him for "objectionable" remarks against the Bajrang Dal.
The court of civil judge (senior division) Ramandeep Kaur has summoned Kharge on July 10.
Kharge compared the Bajrang Dal with the outlawed PFI in the Congress party's Karnataka Assembly poll manifesto.
Petitioner Hitesh Bhardwaj, the founder of Hindu Suraksha Parishad Bajrang Dal Hind, had filed the defamation case against Kharge for making defamatory remarks against Bajrang Dal during the recently-concluded Karnataka elections.
He said the Congress leader compared Bajrang Dal with anti-national organisations and also promised to ban it after coming to power in Karnataka.
The investigators doubted his version and on strong questioning and through digital evidences, including the use of her Instagram account, which showed the location of the Mehrauli area, Poonawalla finally confessed to killing the victim and then chopping her body into 35 pieces and was arrested on November 12.
Asserting that the SAD stood with the beleaguered peasantry, he announced the party would oppose collection of penalties imposed on the farmers, besides launching a sustained campaign in case the red entries in land records were not revoked.
The arrested individuals have been identified as Manpreet Singh and Bhupinder Singh -- both from Faridkot; and Baljit Singh of Muktsar Sahib. The DGP said the police had established the identity of two of the main shooters -- Manpreet and Bhupinder -- on the first day of the crime and a manhunt was launched in this regard.
Police said that they have arrested nine people, including an Assam Rifles Head Constable, of the gang. Meanwhile, a manhunt has been initiated to nab other accused which also includes a Delhi-based lawyer.
Keeping in view the declining cases of Covid-19 in the country, the government on Wednesday removed mandatory requirement to wear masks in flights. The Ministry of Civil Aviation said that the decision has been taken following a review meeting on the issue with the Ministry of Health.
A police spokesperson said the case properties of drug cases registered under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act, 1985, in Amritsar and Fazilka were destroyed on Tuesday.