In a significant development, the Punjab and Haryana High Court on Wednesday instructed the Punjab government not to arrest Congress leader Partap Singh Bajwa until April 22. The directive came as the court issued a notice regarding Bajwa’s plea for the quashing of an FIR lodged against him over his controversial “50 bombs have reached Punjab” statement.
Partap Singh Bajwa, who serves as the Leader of Opposition in the Punjab Assembly, found himself embroiled in legal troubles following his alarming claim, which he made during an interview with a private television channel. According to Bajwa, “50 bombs have reached Punjab, of which 18 have exploded, and 32 are yet to detonate.” This statement prompted the authorities to book him under several charges, including disseminating false information that could potentially endanger national sovereignty and unity.
The FIR against Bajwa was registered under Sections 197(1)(d) and 353(2) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, accusing him of making false statements intended to stir enmity and unrest. Following his approximately six-hour interrogation by the police at the Cyber Crime police station in Mohali, Bajwa criticized the probe as “sustained interrogation” and labeled the action against him as “political vendetta” by the state’s AAP government.
During Wednesday’s court session, Bajwa’s counsel, APS Deol, informed reporters that the High Court had postponed the arrest, granting Bajwa relief until the next hearing scheduled for April 22. Furthermore, the court has prohibited Bajwa from making any public statements concerning the case during this period.
Deol expressed optimism about the proceedings, stating, “We have challenged the FIR, and the state has been requested to respond to our plea concerning the maintainability of the charges on the next date.”
