Court acquits five charged with harbouring Bheora

The court of Additional District and Sessions Judge of Patiala Sumeet Malhotra acquitted the accused after the prosecution failed to prove the allegations against them.

The accused,Karamjit Singh,Jagtar Singh,Naib Singh,Jasbir Singh and Bhupinder Singh,all residents of Hulka village near Banur,were booked on April 1,2006,under Sections 212/216/216-A IPC and Sections 18/19/20/21 of Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act on secret information based on the confessional statement of Bheora after his re-arrest.

In his statement,Bheora said while on the run after the jail break,he stayed with the accused who helped in transportation of weapons. The Banur police had thereafter arrested the men under various sections of the IPC for harbouring a terrorist,as well as under the Unlawful Activities Act.

During the trial,the counsel for the accused Baljinder Singh Sodhi argued that the confessional statement of Bheora was not admissible,as he was not an accused in the case.

On the other hand,despite producing nine witnesses,the prosecution failed to prove the allegations as no independent witness was produced by the prosecution to corroborate the allegations and the confessional statement of Bheora.

The prosecution had earlier produced the disclosure statement of Bheora and got the same confirmed and verified from two witnesses.

Not finding enough evidence in proving the allegations against the accused,the court acquitted them today.