Sidhu Moosewla murder case: Punjab and Haryana HC rejects bail plea of Joginder Singh, calls him ‘prime conspirator’
Justice Jasjit Singh bedi who was hearing the bail petition observed that Joginder Singh alias Joga, had provided shelter to the assailants and a weapon to one of his co-accused
PTC News Desk: The Punjab and Haryana High Court on Friday rejected bail petition of an accused in the murder case of Punjabi singer Shubhdeep Singh alias Sidhu Moosewala while calling him as 'prime conspirator' in the crime.
Joga in his petition had sought grant of regular bail in a case registered on MAY 29, 2022, for murder and other offences under Sections 302, 307, 341, 326, 148, 149, 427, 120-B, 109, 473, 212 and 201 of the IPC, provisions of the Arms Act and Prisons Act at the City-1 police station in Mansa.
Justice Jasjit Singh bedi who was hearing the bail petition observed that Joginder Singh alias Joga, had provided shelter to the assailants and a weapon to one of his co-accused. The Bench also noted that he absconded after being nominated as an accused and was declared a proclaimed offender.
“He (Joga) came to be arrested only on June 26, 2023. He has a lengthy criminal record. There is every possibility that he would abscond from justice, tamper with the evidence or influence eyewitnesses in case he is granted the concession of bail,” the single-judge Bench observed.
The High Court was hearing Joginder Singh's first plea seeking regular bail in a case registered at City-1 Police Station in Mansa. The FIR includes charges under various sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), Arms Act and Prisons Act.
Appearing for Joginder Singh, advocate Ramandeep Singh Gill argued that his client had been falsely implicated in the case. He said the main allegation against Joginder was that he knew the other accused and had allegedly arranged a place for the shooters to stay on the instructions of Goldy Brar before the incident.
The lawyer argued that, at most, these allegations would amount to an offence under Section 212 of the IPC, which deals with hiding or sheltering a criminal.
The defence also argued that the disclosure statements made by the co-accused, as well as Joginder Singh's own alleged disclosure or confession, could not be treated as admissible evidence.
The lawyer further pointed out that Joginder had been in custody since June 26, 2023. Out of 180 prosecution witnesses, only 20 had been examined so far. He argued that the trial was unlikely to finish anytime soon.
Opposing the bail plea, the state said the investigation had found that Joginder Singh allegedly acted on the instructions of Goldy Brar.
According to the prosecution, Joginder arranged accommodation and safe places for the shooters — Priyawart alias Fauji, Ankit alias Sersa, Kashish alias Kuldeep and Deepak Mundi — before the crime.