NEW DELHI: Member of Parliament Atinder Pal Singh, a former accused in Indira Gandhi’s assassination and the East Delhi bomb blast cases, was Saturday freed from the maximum security Tihar jail after a special court’s discharge order.
Atinderpal Singh’s release came 19 months after he was arrested on December 5, 1988 on charges of conspiracy to strike terror in Delhi and to overthrow the government as revenge for the November 84 anti-Sikh riots.
The prosecution claim was that in pursuance of this conspiracy, he and the other accused planted bombs in several places in the capital in September 1988.
His release Saturday came after special Judge R.L Chugh granted the prosecution plea to discharge him in the Shahadra bomb blasts of 1988 in which two persons were killed and several injured.
The prosecution’s submission was that in order to respect the mandate given by the public in electing him MP and to maintain harmony and defuse tension in Punjab, the government had thought it expedient in larger public interest to withdraw the case against him.
Talking to newsmen at the gates of Tihar jail Atinderpal Singh who was in his mid-thirties said he was happy about his release. “I do not think my release without the other accused in the Shahdara case is in national interest,” he said,
The counsel for the accused submitted that the withdrawal of case against Atinderpal Singh was motivated by political considerations.
They said there was no reason for acting in a discriminatory and arbitrary manner by withdrawing the prosecution only against Atinderpal Singh and leaving others out.
In his belief order, the judge said, “Mr. Atinderpal Singh is discharged in the case and he may be released forthwith if there is no other case was pending against him.”
While fixing the next date of hearing to August 3 Chugh said that he would give reasons for Atinderpal Singh’s discharge later.
The order was pronounced amidst tight security around the court room. Even media persons were not permitted to attend the court proceedings as they were being held in camera.
The judge gave his order after hearing arguments for three hours. The other accused in the case are Avtar Singh, Sucha Singh, Gurdeep Singh, Praduman Singh and Kuldeep Singh.
Article extracted from this publication >> July 13, 1990
