Chauhan bail plea rejected

By Our Special Correspondent

CHANDIGARH, JUNE 27. The Punjab and Haryana High Court today dismissed once again the bail application Dr. Jagjit Singh Chauhan, who returned from exile late on Tuesday, on technical grounds.

A vacation judge of the High Court, Mr. Justice Nirmal Singh, disposed of the petition moved by Dr. Chauhan's counsel, Mr. Ranjan Lakhanpal, seeking anticipatory bail.

The Court did not appreciate the manner in which the counsel moved an affidavit, which led to Mr. Lakhanpal withdrawing the plea. The advocate later said he would wait for instructions from his client to move the Supreme Court or seek a regular bail in case the State police arrested him.

On May 29, the High Court, had directed the Centre to issue travel documents to Dr. Chauhan as well as grant him permission to come to India.

Through his wife, Mrs. Charanjit Kaur, the Khalistani ideologue had moved court in 1996 for permission to return. It was pleaded that no criminal proceedings were pending against him India, neither had he accepted the citizenship of any other country.

Reporters and police personnel were on their toes after news of his return appeared in a section of the media. Reports from Amritsar said that reporters and camera crews had been camping in the SGPC's information office since noon today.

At her Phase-II residence in Mohali near here, Mrs. Kaur was seen making arrangements for the arrival of her husband. A visibly- elated Mrs. Kaur, who returned to India on Friday, offered sweets to friends and presspersons who called on her.

The State police are keeping vigil on the situation. While senior officers were tight-lipped, those on duty in Chandigarh and Amritsar denied there were any orders for the arrest of Dr. Chauhan.

A senior officer said there no cases were pending against Dr. Chauhan, but the administration would fulfill all its legal duties in the matter. When his attention was drawn to the three cases registered in the early Eighties against Dr. Chauhan in Amritsar, he said they might have been closed as ``untraced'' or due to the lack of necessary evidence. However, he said, these cases could be reviewed, if need be.

'Khalistan concept still relevant'

PTI reports:

Speaking to mediapersons after arriving in Chandigarh, Dr. Chauhan said the aim of Khalistan was still relevant and that he was determined to achieve that goal but not through violence. ``I strongly condemn any sort of violence. I even condemned violence outside the country. We are determined not to allow any kind of violence. Khalistan is not visible on the agenda of the Akali Dal.''

On his whereabouts since his arrival in New Delhi, he said, ``I arrived in Delhi last night at about 10 p.m. and was taken from the airport to an undisclosed place by personnel of various (intelligence) agencies, who questioned me the way you are questioning me.'' He was not harassed by any agency though. He added that he would neither join any political party nor contest the elections to the State Assembly.

The separatist Sikh leader admitted he had brought out a map of Khalistan, coined its currency and opened consulates in other countries. ``This was a symbolic way of registering my protest.''

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