Tehsildar assault case: Charges framed against MLA Simarjit Bains, eight more
Thursday, 08/06/2017
http://epaper.dailypostindia.com/Details.aspx?id=177378&boxid=58396&uid=&dat=2017-06-08
Ludhiana : In a high-profile case of assaulting an on-duty Tehsildar, the court of additional Session Judge, Ludhiana Sonia Kinra on Wednesday framed charges against Lok Insaaf Party (LIP) president and MLA from Atam Nagar constituency Simarjit Singh Bains, Congress leader Kamaljit Singh Karwal and seven other accused in the case.
The charges were framed under Sections 353, 323, 307, 148, 149, 120-B of IPC and Section 27 of Arms Act. The next date of hearing has been fixed for July 4.
Apart from Simarjit Bains and Karwal, charges were framed against Ravi Sharma, Sarabjit Singh, Jaspreet Singh, Rupinder Singh, Satnam Singh, Jasvir Singh alias Jassa, and Gurpreet alias doctor.
In June 2009, Simarjit Bains, Kamaljit Karwal and others were booked for attempt to murder as they assaulted an on-duty Tehsildar Major (retd) Gurjinder Singh Benipal (now District Revenue officer).
However, the inquiry in the case was conducted by Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), ordered by Supreme Court of India, following the plea of Simarjit Singh Bains, but the inquiry report did not give a clean chit to the accused in all the sections. On Wednesday, the Court framed the charges against Bains, Karwal and other accused and also rejected the plea of Bains to dismiss the case against them.
It is pertinent to mention here that at the time of the incident, Bains and Karwal were close friends but later they parted ways and Karwal had joined Congress.
Meanwhile, Congress leader Ishwarjot Singh Cheema has demanded the resignation of MLA Simarjit Singh Bains. He said that Bains should resign on moral grounds as he always talks of ethics. He also demanded Aam Aadmi Party should clear its stand on an alliance with the party of Bains.
The case
In June 2009, Simarjit Singh Bains, Kamaljit Karwal allegedly attacked an on-duty Tehsildar Gurjinder Singh Benipal in his office. The accused also allegedly fired gunshots.
A case of attempt to murder was registered at Police Station Sadar and the accused were arrested. Later, they were released on bail.
In 2014, the Supreme Court of India ordered CBI to probe the case, but the accused were not given clean chit for all the offences registered in the case.
On Wednesday, the court of Additional Sessions Judge framed charges in the case and fixed the next hearing for July 4.
At the time of the incident, Simarjit Singh Bains and Kamaljit Singh Karwal were in Shiromani Akali Dal, but later Karwal parted ways with Bains and joined Congress. Bains also left Akali Dal and formed his new political outfit Lok Insaaf Party.
