New Delhi: The Punjab and Haryana high court on Friday afternoon refused the Punjab Police’s plea to keep Bharatiya Janata Party spokesperson Tejinder Pal Singh Bagga in Haryana. The court has adjourned hearing till tomorrow. Bagga is understood to have returned to Delhi with Delhi Police.
On Friday morning, the Punjab Police reportedly picked up Bagga from his west Delhi home. Last month, a case had been filed against him for his comments against Delhi chief minister and Aam Aadmi Party leader Arvind Kejriwal.
According to the Indian Express, the Punjab Police informed the Janakpuri police station before making their move. “After sharing the details, they sent their team to his house from where he was picked up and taken to Janakpuri police station. They are now completing legal documentation work,” an officer told the newspaper.
Preetpal Singh Bagga, the leader’s father, alleged that the police were violent with him when they came to arrest his son.
Delhi | Today morning, 10-15 police personnel came to our home & dragged Tajinder out. When I picked up my mobile phone to record a video of the incident, police took me to another room & punched me in the face: Preetpal Singh Bagga, father of BJP leader Tajinder Pal S Bagga pic.twitter.com/TsmXymFw7H
— ANI (@ANI) May 6, 2022
Several BJP leaders spoke out in Bagga’s defence. Kapil Mishra tweeted, “Tejinder Bagga has been arrested by 50 police personnel of Punjab police. He is a true Sikh and they cannot threaten him.”
A day of high drama ensued. Soon after Bagga was taken into custody, ANI reported that the Delhi Police had filed a kidnapping and assault case against the Punjab Police.
Delhi Police register a kidnapping case after the arrest of BJP leader Tajinder Pal Singh Bagga by Punjab Police over his alleged threat to Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal.
— ANI (@ANI) May 6, 2022
Bagga was taken to a police station in Haryana after the Delhi Police accused the Punjab Police team of not following due procedure.“We have brought Bagga and the Punjab police team to the Thanesar police Station, Kurukshetra. We have questioned the Punjab policemen,” a police official told the Indian Express. Later, the Haryana Police handed Bagga over to the Delhi Police – leading to the Punjab Police approaching the Punjab and Haryana high court.
AG Anmol Rattan Sidhu said the Haryana Police’s intervention was “a violation of law”.
The case against Bagga, filed on April 1, lists Sections 153-A (promoting enmity between different groups on grounds of religion, race, place of birth, residence, language, etc., and doing acts prejudicial to maintenance of harmony); 505 (Statements conducing to public mischief); 505 (2) (Statements creating or promoting enmity, hatred or ill will between classes); and 506 (Punishment for criminal intimidation) of the Indian Penal Code.
The FIR was filed on the basis of a complaint by Punjab AAP spokesperson and Lok Sabha in-charge Sunny Singh Ahluwalia. The complain said Bagga’s comments were “… criminal intimidation… to cause violence… imminent hurt to Arvind Kejriwal and other AAP leaders in a pre-designed, well planned, orchestrated manner…,” Indian Express reported.