Tajinder Bagga Arrest Row: Punjab Govt Moves High Court For Release Of Its Police Officials Allegedly Detained By Haryana Police

Another significant development has taken place in the ongoing BJP leader Tajinder Pal Singh Bagga Arrest Row as the Punjab Government has moved to the Punjab and Haryana High Court with a habeas corpus plea for the release of its officials from the alleged illegal custody of the Haryana Police.

It may be noted that Bagg was arrested by the Punjab Police in the morning today, however, with the intervention of the Harayana Police and on the strength of a Delhi Court's order, Delhi Police was able to bring Bagga back to Delhi in the evening after taking him under their Custody from Thanesar police Station, Kurukshetra (Haryana).

The Punjab Government has alleged that while it was taking Bagga to SAS Nagar (Mohali) to produce him before the Area Magistrate, the Haryana Police stopped them midway and brought them to the Kurukshetra (Thanesar police Station), where, Bagga's custody was given to Delhi Police and 12 Punjab Police cops were allegedly illegally detained by them. 

With this allegation, the Punjab Government approached Punjab and Haryana High Court seeking the release of 12 of its police officials from the custody of the Haryana Police and restoration of the custody of Tejinder Pal Singh Bagga to the Punjab Police.

Haryana Government's stand before the Court

The Advocate General, Haryana filed a status report before the Court that the Haryana police had received a VT message from Delhi Police in respect of a kidnapped person (Bagga) from Janakpuri, Delhi.

Pursuant to said message, the vehicle carrying Bagga was made to stop at village Khanpur Koliyan by the Traffic Police, Kurukshetra and another vehicle wherein Punjab Police officials were sitting was also made to stop.

It was further submitted that on the arrival of Delhi Police at Police Station Sadar Kurukshetra, they identified Bagga and produced an FIR against him registered in Delhi as well as the search warrants (meant for Bagga) issued by a Delhi Court for his production in the Delhi Court.

It was his specific contention that pursuant to a search warrant issued by Delhi Court, custody of Tejinder Pal Singh Bagga was handed over to the Delhi Police.

It was also stated that Punjab Police officials have not been detained by the Kurukshetra Police in any manner and those police officials on their own were sitting in the room of SHO, Police Station Sadar, Kurukshetra, and they were being requested to proceed to their destination as no further action was required in the matter.

Delhi Police's stand

The Additional Solicitor General of India representing Delhi Police submitted before the Court that pursuant to the issuance of a search warrant, it was looking for Bagga when it got the information about him from Kurukshetra Police, he was rescued by Delhi Police with the assistance of Kurukshetra Police and was brought back to Delhi to produce him in the Court concerned at Delhi.

It was further submitted that no official of Punjab Police had been detained at Police Station Janakpuri, Delhi (West). This submission was made in response to another allegation put up by the Punjab Govt that when its Deputy Superintendent of Police Kuljinder Singh had gone to Police Station Janakpuri, Delhi, to intimate the arrest of Bagga, he was illegally detained by the Delhi Police officials

Due to the paucity of time, the submissions couldn't conclude today and the matter has been adjourned to May 7, 2022.