A local court in Ludhiana on Sunday ordered the release of Congress leader Inderjit Singh Indi, declaring his arrest by the police as illegal. The court pointed to significant procedural violations in the apprehension and handling of the case against the political figure.
Court Cites Procedural Lapses in Arrest
The legal team representing Inderjit Singh Indi, advocates Vijay Mahendru and Pushkar Mahendru, successfully argued that the police failed to follow due process. A key point highlighted was the timing of the arrest. Police took Indi into custody from his residence at 9:56 am on Saturday, as per available CCTV footage. However, the First Information Report (FIR) states that information about the incident was received by police only at 10:09 am, with the case formally registered by 10:28 am.
Furthermore, the defense contended that the police did not serve Indi with a notice under Section 41-A of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) before making the arrest. This section typically requires police to issue a notice of appearance in certain cases before making an arrest. Additionally, Indi was produced in court for remand by 1 pm on Sunday, which the defense argued was within the 24-hour window but underscored a rushed process. Considering these facts collectively, the court ruled the arrest illegal and ordered his release.
The Allegations and Political Backlash
Inderjit Singh Indi, the husband of Congress councillor Parminder Kaur and a close associate of former cabinet minister Bharat Bhushan Ashu, was arrested by Division No. 8 police. The arrest followed a complaint filed by the joint commissioner (A) of the Ludhiana Municipal Corporation.
The FIR alleged that Indi attacked Ajay Kumar, the circle in-charge of the Rose Garden under the MC's horticulture department, and obstructed him from performing his duty. The complaint stated that Indi arrived at the site near Rose Garden, hurled abuses, and physically assaulted Ajay Kumar. Junior Engineer Kirpal Singh, present at the spot, intervened. It was further alleged that Indi's personal assistant, Sandeep, took a tree-pruning worker named Lovepreet away from the site on his bike.
Congress leaders have strongly condemned the arrest as politically motivated. In a press conference held on Sunday, former senior deputy mayor Sham Sunder Malhotra and Mamta Ashu, wife of Bharat Bhushan Ashu, came out in support of Indi. Mamta Ashu questioned the validity of the charges, stating, "There is no evidence that Indi attacked the worker of the horticulture department, neither does the complainant have any injury marks on his body. These are baseless allegations levelled on the directions of the ruling government."
Context and Claims of a Set-up
Providing context to the incident, Mamta Ashu explained that tree pruning work was necessary in Maya Nagar for a religious program commemorating the martyrdom of the Sahibzadas. She claimed Indi had been following up with the horticulture department for 15 days to get the work done and the waste lifted. On the day of the incident, the power supply was disconnected in the area to facilitate the pruning.
She alleged that while the horticulture department staff initially began work, they left midway after receiving a call directing them to prioritize work in the ward of a councillor from another political party. "Indi requested them to complete the work before going, but they did not listen to him and left. Indi went to the Rose Garden and must have had an argument with them. However, neither was he carrying any weapon to attack any employee, nor did the employee suffer any injuries," Ashu added, framing the police action as a tool to target vocal opposition figures.
Advocate Vijay Mahendru confirmed that the legal battle is not over, stating, "Further, we will challenge the FIR in the high court." The case highlights ongoing tensions between political groups in Ludhiana and raises questions about police procedure.
