Faridkot, March 16: District and Sessions Judge Satvinder Singh here today upheld the acquittal of SAD president Sukhbir Singh Badal in a 12-year-old attempt-to-murder case. Sukhbir was present in the court when the verdict was pronounced.Kotkapura resident Naresh Kumar Sehgal had filed an appeal, challenging Sukhbir’s acquittal by the court of Judicial Magistrate (First Class), Faridkot, on April 2, 2016.
The court had started the trial in May that year.On June 30, 2006, a case was registered against Sukhbir at Kotkapura police station on the directions of the Punjab and Haryana High Court after Sehgal had approached the latter.
He had accused Sukhbir and some of his associates of carrying out a murderous attack on him on September 5, 1999, during electioneering for the parliamentary elections in Kotkapura (falling under Faridkot Lok Sabha seat).
Dismissing Sehgal’s appeal against the acquittal, the Sessions Court said today that the complainant had failed to prove the allegations against the accused.However, the court directed Sukhbir to execute Rs 50,000 bail bonds with one surety of the like amount, thereby undertaking to appear in the High Court if it issued a notice on any appeal or revision petition filed by Sehgal against today’s decision.
The state government had not filed an appeal against Sukhbir’s acquittal by the trial court in April 2016.Two police constables, prime witnesses in the case, were declared hostile as they had not endorsed Sehgal’s allegations. “On the basis of Sehgal’s uncorroborated solitary statement, it is not safe to record conviction against the accused,” the Sessions Judge said.
Source Tribune India
