CHANDIGARH: After four and a half months of detention, Justice Ajit Singh Bains was released on bail August 18, by the Designated Court at Ropar in Punjab. No stipulations have been put on the bail order.
The decision followed from the Supreme Court’s advice to the Punjab Government not to oppose the application for bail. During the hearing of the petition, on August 14, alleging mala fide intent against the Chief Minister of Punjab, Beant Singh, a proposal was made by the Attorney General of India to the effect that the Government would agree to release Justice Bains if the case against Beant Singh was dropped, Justice Venkatachalliah, on behalf of the bench, strongly opposed the linking of the two cases and said that the petition would continue to be heard in the Supreme Court. Hardev Singh, Counsel for Mrs. Bains, agreed with the judge’s decision not to compromise the hearing of the petition. The next hearing of the mala fide case against the Punjab Government will be held on Sept.8. As of now the Government has still now brought a case against Justice Bains, Justice Bains spoke with a member of the Committee for his Release and said that his health was fine. He asked that his deepest gratitude be conveyed to all those who had worked on the campaign for his release and that the struggle for the restoration of human rights would carry on.
Article extracted from this publication >> Aug 28, 1992
