Kapurthala court on Monday granted bail to Punjab Congress MLA Sukhpal Singh Khaira in a criminal intimidation case, adding a new chapter to the ongoing legal battles surrounding the three-time legislator from Bholath. Judicial Magistrate Supreet Kaur, approving the bail, also directed the Congress legislator to furnish a bail bond of Rs one lakh.

Khaira’s release was marked by a warm reception from his supporters who adorned him with garlands and celebrated with sweets.

Addressing the media after his release, Khaira asserted his complete innocence. “I am entirely innocent, yet I had to spend time behind bars. If I were guilty, they would have imposed any punishment they desired. Unfortunately, the sorrowful truth is that I am entirely blameless,” he said.

Khaira went on to express a long-standing belief that telling the truth comes at a cost. He attributed the false cases against him to his commitment to revealing the truth about Punjab. “The police have previously fabricated reports and arrested my relatives because I speak the truth about Punjab. This isn't a significant punishment for me,” he stated.

The criminal intimidation case was registered by Kapurthala Police on January 4, charging Khaira under sections 195A (threatening any person to give false evidence) and Section 506 of the Indian Penal Code (criminal intimidation). The complainant, Ranjit Kaur, accused Khaira of intimidating and pressuring her husband, Kashmir Singh, who is a key witness in a 2015 NDPS (Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances) case.

This recent legal hassle follows Khaira’s bail grant from the Punjab and Haryana High Court on the same day, linked to the 2015 drugs case. The Congress MLA, representing Bholath constituency, had faced arrest on September 29 last year in connection with the 2015 NDPS case, triggering accusations of political vendetta from the Congress against the ruling AAP in the state.

The 2015 drugs case, registered in March of that year at Jalalabad in Fazilka, involved nine individuals, including Gurdev Singh, allegedly a close aide of Khaira, who were later convicted. The police had seized two kilograms of heroin, 24 gold biscuits, firearms, and Pakistani SIM cards from the accused.

Ranjit Kaur, the complainant in the criminal intimidation case, alleged that masked individuals threatened her family in October of the previous year if her husband did not withdraw his statement against Khaira. She further claimed receiving anonymous threats, escalating the gravity of the situation.