Jaggi Johal and three others acquitted in Bajakhana case

Faridkot: The court of an Additional Sessions Judge (ASJ) today discharged a UAPA and Arms Act case against Jagtar Singh Johal and others.

The case FIR number 63/2017 (Police Station Bajakhana) was registered against Jagtar Singh Jaggi, Taljit Singh Jimmy, Jagjit Singh Jammu and Tarlok Singh Laddi.

ASJ Rajesh Kumar had heard the arguments regarding admissibility of the chargesheet on an earlier date and pronounced the judgement today.

The court dismissed the charges on merit on the ground of double jeopardy and discharged the case.

JAGGI DISCHARGED FROM THE FARIDKHOT CASE.

Jaggi appeared via video link for his 98th Pre-Trial Preliminary Hearing at Faridkhot.#FreeJaggiNow pic.twitter.com/XN1lSGQyF3

— #FreeJaggiNow (@FreeJaggiNow) July 24, 2019

The defence team comprised Advocate Jaspal Singh Manjhpur and Advocate Mandeep Chanana.

Advocate Jaspal Singh Manjhpur told via a video shared on his Facebook profile that this case was initially registered against one Gurpreet Singh under FIR number 193/2016 at Police Baghapurana. The police had later named Jagtar Singh Johal and other persons in this case. After that the police had registered case FIR number 63/2017 at police station Bajakhana and allegations against Jagtar Singh Jaggi, Taljit Singh Jimmy, Jagjit Singh Jammu and Tarlok Singh Laddi in Baghapurana case (193/2016) were copy-pasted in chargesheet presented in this case (63/20187).

He added that the defence had challenged the chargesheet in the court pointing that it amounted to duplication of charges and thus double jeopardy.

He said that the court appreciated the defence argument and discharged all persons, including arrested Scotland citizen Jagtar Singh Johal alias Jaggi in this case.

Advocate Jaspal Singh Manjhpur maintained that the NIA chargesheets against Jagtar Singh Johal are also copy-paste versions of Baghapurana case.