LUDHIANA: A local court on Saturday acquitted Nabha jail break accused Harminder Singh
Mintoo in a case of recovery of huge cache of explosive from the Jagraon area in June, 2008.
The court of additional sessions judge Anjana pronounced the judgement and acquitted him after the prosecution failed to prove charges against him.
Giving details, Jaspal Singh
Manjhpur, counsel for Mintoo said that the latter was produced before the court in the case registered under Sections 121 (waging or attempting to wage war or abetting waging of war against the Government of India), 121 A (conspiracy to commit offences punishable by section 121), 123 (concealing with intent to facilitate design to wage war), 153 A (promoting enmity between different groups on grounds of religion, race, place of birth, residence, language and others and doing acts prejudicial to maintenance of harmony), 120 B (criminal conspiracy) of IPC and sections of explosive Act. He added that prosecution couldn't prove the case.
Manjhpur said that Mintoo was brought by police from
Central Jail Patiala to appear in the hearing. Police officials said that he was brought to the district courts amid tight security.
The defence counsel said that on June 17, 2008, police had seized 25 detonators along with a fuse, 196 rods of explosive substances from Akhara village canal bridge. He added that Mintoo was booked on the confessional statement of an accused
Manpreet Singh who was later acquitted by the court.
The defence counsel added two of the accused in the case were convicted while four including Mintoo, his maternal cousin Daljeet Singh, Manpreet Singh (relative of Mintoo) and Gurdeep Singh were acquitted. He added that Mintoo had recorded his statement on March 1.
Jaspal Singh Manjhpur said that one of the accused Gurmeet Singh Bagga from Germany has been declared a proclaimed offender in the case.
He added that those convicted include Gurtej Singh of Gurdaspur and Manjeet Singh of Moga and they were the main accused from whom police had seized the explosives. The defence counsel said Mintoo was charged with providing money to Gurtej and Manjeet for explosives.
