HC stays arrest of Jat body leader in minister’s house attack case

CHANDIGARH: The Punjab and Haryana high court on Monday stayed the arrest of All India Jat Aarakshan Sangharsh Samiti (AIJASS) leader Ashok Kumar Balhara in a case related to his alleged involvement in the attack on Haryana minister Capt Abhimanyu’s house in Rohtak during the February 2016 Jat violence.
His arrest shall remain stayed till November 14, when the CBI would file its reply on the contentions raised by Balhara in his plea.

Justice Daya Chaudhary of the HC passed these orders while hearing the anticipatory bail plea filed by Balhara, a key aide of AIJASS chief Yashpal Malik. In his plea, Balhara had submitted that he was falsely implicated in the case and had no connection with the attack on the minister’s house

The Jat leader’s counsel advocate Rahul Deswal argued that Balhara was shown to be involved in the case on the basis of the statements given by some planted accused/witnesses. The case was earlier probed by a special investigation team of Haryana police, which never summoned him in the case.

“The case was sent to CBI for political reasons and the agency has not conducted a fair probe. The witnesses who have been planted against him are staunch and hardcore supporters of finance minister Captain Abhimanyu whose house was set on fire. This all shows that CBI is acting and dancing on the tunes of present government by falsely implicating maximum youth of the area,” Deswal argued in the court.

The counsel also submitted that Balhara was practising advocate in the high court since May 2005, and had also served as law officer in the advocate general office Haryana for around 10 years, from 2005 to 2014. It has also been claimed that at the time of attack on Abhimnyu’s house he was in his house located near the main Dharna point in Rohtak with his family members.

As per chargesheet filed by CBI in the case, Balhara is alleged to have incited the agitators to attack the minister’s house on February 19, 2016, and he was allegedly identified by the independent witnesses at the place of occurrence.

Balhara has approached the HC after special CBI judge Jagdeep Singh dismissed his anticipatory bail plea observing that in view of the gravity and nature of allegations it was not a fit case to grant such relief.